Sixty feared dead as two trains crush people watching Ravana effigy burning in Amritsar at 7.00 PM today

About sixty persons are feared dead in Amritsar as the speeding train crushed them while they were watching the Rawan Dahan at the Joda Faatak area of Amritsar. The death toll may exceed more than hundred say news sources.

Hundred of persons with their families were busy watching the burning of the effigies of Ravana n Meghnath. The police authorities who’d expressed the casualties from forty to fifty earlier have now confirmed the total death tally at sixty n are still apprehensive that the figure may go up to more than hundred. The injureds have been ferried to hospital while the unacounted bodies in multilated condition lying scattered here and there.

According to the police there was tremendous crowd in the ground. While the Effigies were burning there was bursting of crackers and people out of fear ran towards the track which are quite near the ground and all of a sudden two trains, one Howrah n another DMU came in speed from both the directions simultaneously, crushing people most gruesomely with their badly mutilated body parts lying here and there.

People are badly angered, furious and shocked over this most tragic incident claiming over fifty lives. This is the constituency of Navjyot Singh Sidhu and people are badly annoyed and angered against him as his wife who was present in the function as the chief guest disappeared from the scene.

This is the massive tragedy in the recent times. Sounds shocking as to why the authorities have given permission to the mela management to organise the effigy burning event on Vijay Dashmi when there are no arrangements of safety of the people knowing very well that the rail tracts are just adjacent to the ground where people gather in hundreds. The point is why has the raikway authorities not delayed the trains knowing very well that the Effigy burning event on Vijay Dashmi as usual is taking place at the venue extremely close to railway lines/ tracts.

Police fear that the deaths might be more than fifty n can exceed to hundred/ two hundred. It is said that dozens of people were standing/ sitting on the tracts and when the crackers exploded/ burst all of a sudden people ran towards the tract n got crushed under two trains coming n going in the opposite directions. There is panic all around the accident site. The source of the news is PTC being flashed by TV channels. People say that the permission to organised the MELA was not sought nor the railway authorities informed accordingly.

The visibly moved chief minister has announced the financial compensation of Rs. five lakhs to the families each of the deceased in this tragedy and has directed the home secretary, health secretary n the state police chief to reach the accidental spot immediately. The CM Captain Amrinder Singh has also left for Amritsar.

The prime minister Narendra Modi has expressed his grief over this tragic incident by tweeting: Extremely saddened by the train accident in Amritsar. The tragedy is heart wrenching. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones and I pray that the injured recover quickly. Have asked officials to provide immediate assistence that is required.

Meanwhile the union finance minister Arun Jaitley has also blamed the Punjab administration for being completely negligent by not seeking permission and awaring the authorities concerned to exercise restraint. He assured of the complete support and assistence of the government towards the victims, injureds and the bereaved families.