Amritsar train tragedy: Railways deny responsibility

Amritsar: Hours after 60 people were crushed to death by a train while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy here, the Railways on Saturday said it was not responsible for the tragedy. Northern Railways spokesperson Deepak Kumar said in a statement that the event was organized in an area which does not belong to the railways. It also said that neither the area administration nor the organisers informed it about any Dusshera ceremony at the spot.

“Therefore granting permission from the Railway’s does not arise,” he added. No information about the event was given to the railway authorities by the civil administration.” He said at the time of the incident on Friday evening the gates of the manned level crossing were closed. A senior Railway Ministry official, however, admitted that the loco-pilots of the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Jalandhar-Amritsar Passenger train did not apply emergency brakes.

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“He informed the station master at Amritsar about the train hitting the crowd immediately after the accident,” he said. He told the Amritsar official that the incident happened some 340 metres from an interlocked level crossing. The official agreed that the gateman should have communicated to the nearest station about the assembly of a large crowd near the railway crossing that had spilled over on to the tracks. The station master should have been informed and he should have alerted the loco-pilots. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced Rs 5 lakh compensation each to the kin of the deceased and canceled his proposed Israel visit to rush back to Amritsar. The Prime Minister also announced Rs 2 lakh compensation each to the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 each to the injured. (IANS)