Janjivan Bureau / Amritsar : More than 100 people were killed and over 100 injured on Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching burning of Ravana effigy was run over by a train near here, officials said. The train was coming from Jalandhar to Amritsar when the incident occurred at Joda Phatak.
At least 900 people were at the spot watching ‘Ravana dahan’ at a ground near the tracks.
Sub Divisional Magistrate Amritsar I Rajesh Sharma said 50 bodies have been found and at least 50 injured have been admitted to a government hospital.
As the effigy was lit and the fireworks went off, a section of the crowd started retreating towards the tracks where a large number of people were already standing to watch the event, officials said.
However, two trains arrived from the opposite direction at the same time giving little opportunity to people to escape, they said.
Several people were mowed down by one of the trains, they said.
An eyewitness said, “The administration and the Dussehra committee are at fault, they should have raised an alarm when the train was approaching, they should have made sure that the train halts or slows down.”
The chief minister has rushed to Amritsar to personally supervise relief and rescue operations. The government has announced to give Rs 5 lakh to kin of each deceased and free treatment to the injured in government and private hospitals.District authorities have been mobilised on a war footing.
Minister OP Soni was attacked by the mob when he reached the spot. He was rescued by the police.
