Amritsar train accident: At least 61 people were killed and over 100 were injured.
The organisers of the Dussehra event in Amritsar during which 61 people were killed under a speeding train on Friday faced public anger as protesters threw stones at their home this morning. The organisers, local councillor Vijay Madan and her son, Sourabh Madan Mithu, are missing. The first information report filed by the Government Railway Police (GRP) names no one and is against unidentified people on the grounds that the accused in the case were yet to be identified.
Angry locals who have been on a sit-in since yesterday near the rail tracks where the accident took place were cleared by the police today. But minutes later, the protesters clashed with the police and threw stones. The residents had blocked the traffic around the Joda Pathak area and raised slogans against the district administration, claiming that some people were still missing. The protesters demanded that the missing people be traced and also adequate compensation be given to the families of the victims.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who visited the accident site yesterday, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
Here are the LIVE updates on the situation in Amritsar:
Amritsar-Gorakhpur Express train passes the accident site on the route in Amritsar's Choura Bazar.
A near-empty passenger train was plied on the Amritsar-Jalandhar railway section amid tight security measures today evening. Punjab Police personnel stood guard on both sides of the railway tracks near Joda Phatak (railway gate) area of Amritsar to prevent any protesters from getting near the tracks.
After having cancelled his visit to Israel in the wake of the Amritsar train tragedy, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has decided to visit the country and hold scheduled meetings there tomorrow. CM Singh is supposed to sign three Memoranda of Understanding in Israel, news agency ANI has reported.
A Shiromani Akali Dal core committee today demanded the immediate sacking of Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and the registration of murder case against Navjot Kaur Sidhu and organisers of the Dussehra function. The committee also demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, news agency ANI has reported.
Station Director of Amritsar Amrit Singh reiterated that from the perspective of the railways, no rules were broken. Calling the Amritsar train tragedy an "unfortunate" incident, Mr Singh said, "There was no enquiry instituted at the high level because railway prima-facie does not see the locus of the cause inside the organisation. There was no rule or procedure broken from within the railways."
Punjab Health Minister Brahm Mohindra said that the government is providing free treatment to those injured in the Amritsar train tragedy. He added that Rs 50,000 compensation has been announced for the treatment of the injured people, news agency ANI has reported.
Over 40 hours after the shocking accident in Amritsar in which 61 Dussehra revellers were mowed down by a train, protesters were cleared off the tracks and services have resumed today afternoon. Despite resumption of train services, the railways cancelled 17 trains , short-terminated 14 and diverted seven today, reported news agency PTI.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora says Additional Director General of Police (Railways) Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota will conduct an inquiry into the Amritsar train accident to fix responsibility.
"There has been negligence on someone's part and this probe has been ordered to fix accountability," the DGP was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The opposition in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal, has accused the ruling Congress of a cover-up attempt.
"Navjyot Sidhu ran away after incident, the state government is calling it minor disaster... It is important to find out who is guilty. Why should it take four weeks for inquiry? There should be immediate action and arrest," said the state's former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Punjab Health Minister Brahm Mohindra reaches Amritsar Civil hospital to meet people who were injured in the train accident, reports ANI.
He says, "Chief Minister has already announced a magisterial inquiry in the case. Action will be initiated accordingly."
"I saw a crowd of people around the track and I immediately applied emergency brakes while continuously blowing the horn. Still some people came under it. The train was about to stop when people started pelting stones and so I started the train (again) for passengers' safety," driver of the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train says in his written statement to the Railways administration, according to ANI.
"There is a certain process, and permission was given for events at 20 places. The police gave conditional permissions for events at 20 places including the Dhobi Ghat area," Commissioner of Police in Amritsar SS Shrivastava tells ANI.
"We gave permission for a certain event for a certain area, now obviously there is no permission to be on the tracks. Lapses are under inquiry. We had security for the whole city including the main venue and the function venue," he adds.
Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu meeting victims.
More than 40 hours after the accident in Amritsar, "train services have resumed," senior divisional security commissioner S Sudhakar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The railways got the clearance from local authorities at 12:30pm, a railway spokesperson says. "First goods train started from Manawala to Amritsar at 1416 hours," says Northern Railways spokesperson Deepak Kumar. This train will be followed by mail and express trains, he adds.
The Punjab police has deployed its personnel, including commandoes, to manage the crowd. The Rapid Action Force is also present in the Joda Patak area, officials have said.
Heavy police presence was seen outside local councillor Vijay Madan's home, which was locked and has broken windows.
A Punjab Police commando and a photojournalist were injured during the clashes in the morning. Following the tense situation, police urged locals to stay indoors.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has directed Amritsar District Commissioner and Commissioner of Police to make a detailed socio-economic profile of each victim of Amritsar train accident, report news agency ANI.
According to news agency ANI, one security personnel has been injured after protesters pelted stones at the police.
The officials were trying to clear people sitting on railway tracks in protest against the Amritsar train accident.
Head Constable Amritpal Singh says the police official received injuries in his eyes. Officials said that personnel from the Punjab Police and Rapid Action Force have been deployed alongside the state police commandos.
The organisers, local councillor Vijay Madan and her son, Sourabh Madan Mithu, are missing. The first information report filed by the Government Railway Police (GRP) names no one and is against unidentified people on the grounds that the accused in the case were yet to be identified.
The railways maintained that it was not responsible for the tragedy, saying people were "trespassing" on the tracks and refused to call it an "accident".
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who visited the accident site yesterday, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
The residents had blocked the traffic around the Joda Pathak area and raised slogans against the district administration, claiming that some people were still missing.
The protesters demanded that the missing people be traced and also adequate compensation be given to the families of the victims.
The organisers of the Dussehra event in Amritsar during which 61 people were killed under a speeding train on Friday faced public anger as protesters threw stones at their home this morning.