World Tour '03
Chapter 1
News Release (Island Press, Victoria, BC)
A 6.8 earthquake struck the Malahat area, 20 miles north of Victoria, at 8:21 am this morning causing huge rock slides and starting a forest fire trapping a railway crew from Victoria. The crew, consisting of approximately nine of the most experienced railroad men on Vancouver Island, were laying ballast at the Mile 20 Malahat siding when the earthquake struck. Contact with the crew has been made by radio, but all attempts to reach the site by road has been blocked by massive rockslides and a forest fire.
All railway equipment has been stranded north of the Malahat summit, but fortunately one locomotive leased from the New York Central Railroad and one boxcar, on a world tour, were in the Victoria rail yard when the earthquake struck. The boxcar is currently being loaded with relief supplies and a rescue attempt by rail will be made later this afternoon.