Amritsar: The Punjab government declared state mourning on Saturday as a pall of gloom descended on Dussehra celebrations following the tragic death of 60 revelers, who were mowed down by a speeding train last night near Amritsar.
The Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner has been asked to conduct an inquiry into the tragedy and submit its report within four weeks.
The revelers were crushed under the wheels of the train while watching Ravana Podi from a railway track. Around 70 people were injured in the accident that took place at gate no. 27 between Amritsar and Manawala.
The Punjab government has also announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of each of the deceased and free treatment to the injured. The railways has also issued helpline numbers, 0183-2223171, 0183-2564485.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has ordered an immediate release of Rs 3 crore to the Amritsar district collectorate for payment of compensation to the family of the deceased. Complying with the directions, the Chief Minister’s Office has issued RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) instructions to the bank concerned.
On Friday, he had set up a Crisis Management Group to monitor the relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Meanwhile, Punjab and Railway Police have detained the driver and questioning him about the incident. Sources said that the driver had earlier claimed that he was given green signal and all clear and had no idea that hundreds of people were standing on the tracks.
Witnesses and survivors told Hindustan Times that the deafening noise of fire crackers masked the sound of the approaching train.
Speaking to ANI, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani on Saturday said it would be wrong to hold the Railways responsible for the tragic incident.
“There are two manned level-crossing on that track, both were close. It is the main line and there is no speed restriction there,” he said, adding that people need to be more alert; they must not trespass on railway tracks.
Terming the incident as ‘unfortunate’, Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore ensured that proper medical aid would be provided to the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Congress President Rahul Gandhi have expressed anguish over the accident.
Notably, the train, coming from Jalandhar, plowed into a crowd of 500 Dussehra revelers who had spilled over to railway tracks on the outskirts of Amritsar in Punjab at 7 pm on Friday. They were watching burning of the effigy of Ravana at that moment.
Many of them stood on the tracks close to the Joda Phatak crossing to get a better view and were taking videos of the burning Ravan as the train, 74643 Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU, ran them over. Another train, the 13006 Amritsar-Howrah Express, sped past seconds later and some of those who had jumped on the second set of tracks to escape the first were caught under it, sources said.
Many people were critically injured in the accident and admitted to a Amritsar hospital, the sources added.
