Death toll revised to 47

LAC-MÉGANTIC — After almost two weeks of investigation at the scene of a devastating train explosion in LacMégantic, police say they now believe 47 people died during the blast or are still missing in the rubble.

Sûreté du Québec investigators had previously said they believed about 50 people were dead or missing. No more bodies were recovered from the scene on Friday.

The coroner’s office has identified another three victims, bringing the total to 22 identified.

“We’ve completed Phase 1 of our work on the scene,” a SQ spokesman, Michel Forget, said on Friday.

Police have now been able to access most of the site, but the area remains dangerous, Forget said.

Officers on the ground were exposed to some kind of toxic substance earlier this week, but Forget said today that none had reported any health problems. Forget said he could not specify what the substance was.

Police investigators will take a break until Sunday, while they wait for the delivery of specialized equipment needed to access the rest of the area.

Transportation Safety Board agents — some of whom have been working from 6 a.m. to midnight at the blast site — will continue their investigation over the weekend, Jacqueline Roy, a TSB spokeswoman, said Friday.

Outside Lac-Mégantic, former Beatle Paul McCartney is reaching out to the victims of the train disaster, giving free tickets to his Quebec City show to the survivors.

The rock legend is expected to address the victims in attendance at next week’s concert.

The tickets will be distributed in Lac-Mégantic on Saturday, the two-week anniversary of the disaster.