The lead crown prosecutor in the Lac-Megantic trial says if it weren't for the negligent actions of the three accused, the deaths of the 47 victims would not have happened.
The trial of ex-train conductor Tom Harding, traffic controller Richard Labrie and manager of train operations Jean Demaitre started today at the Sherbrooke courthouse.
The three men are charged with criminal negligence causing 47 deaths in the train derailment and explosion that destroyed most of the town's centre July 6, 2013.
In her opening statement, crown prosecutor Véronique Beauchamp told the jury of ten men and four women that their evidence will show that the accused failed to take the necessary measures to ensure the train was properly secured and safe.
Superior Court Justice Gaétan Dumas said in his instructions to the jury that this is neither the trial of the MMA - the company that owned the train and employed the accused - nor a Royal Commission.
Police officers were among the first of the crown's 36 witnesses, including the officer in charge of the crime scene who showed aerial video of the disaster area and the SQ crime scene technician who helped investigators and took photos of the site.
The trial is scheduled to last until December.