The Most Tragic Dussehra Ever, 61 Crushed to Death in Amritsar

In a sudden, shocking and heart-rending incident, Amritsar gets the biggest blow on Dussehra evening when hundreds of devotees were busy watching the burning of the Ravana and then got ran over by a speeding train. This tragic incident is feared to have taken lives of at least 61 devotees in Joda Fatak area where a large crowd had gathered for watching the burning of the mythological effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and others.

The arrival of the speeding train, Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU, could not be noticed by the people standing on the railway track as the burning of the firecrackers dominated the train’s whistle. As per the statements of the witnesses of the incident, Amritsar-Howrah train had just crossed the spot a few minutes earlier. Hence, this was beyond their expectation to find another speeding train making its way to the Dussehra site.

Although as per the official records, around 61 people are found crushed by the train, there are chances for the fatalities to rise.

Amritsar deputy commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha said, “All hospitals in the city have been alerted about the injured patients and ambulances from the neighbouring districts have also been requisitioned to carry the injured and dead.”