Portrait of a tragedy: Montreal photographer documents Lac-Mégantic aftermath

MONTREAL — For a quarter of a century, Montreal photographer Benoit Aquin has travelled the world to bring home compelling human stories.

More recently, the veteran photographer documented the aftermath of the tragic train derailment and explosion in Lac-Mégantic, where 47 people were killed.

“I drove to Lac-Mégantic the very day of the accident,” Aquin explained.

“The working conditions were difficult. Access to the site of the tragedy was blocked. What was accessible to me visually seemed so minimal compared to the immensity of the disaster.”

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A collection of pictures from the beleaguered community is currently on display in a new exhibition at Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts. The photograph Exclusion Zone from the collection was selected by The Guardian newspaper as one of the 15 best images in its annual photography festival.