Amritsar Train Tragedy: Shock, grief, anger engulf holy city

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

Relatives crying near the body of a young victim at the accident site at Jaura Phatak in Amritsar on Friday. Tragedy struck at a Dussehra celebration in Amritsar on Friday when a speeding train ran over a festive crowd that spilled on to the tracks while watching the customary burning of a giant Ravana effigy. At least 61 people were killed and 95 injured in the accident, according to a senior government official. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

Police rescue the dead bodies kept on the railway track. Hundreds of people had gathered at an open ground near the manned crossing at Jaura Phatak, barely 70 metres from the Amritsar-Jalandhar double railway track where the celebrations were happening at around 7:15pm. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

The crossing, 3km from Amritsar railway station, was closed for vehicular traffic, but people were spread out from the ground to the areas surrounding the tracks on both sides; many of them standing on the tracks.The track was not cordoned off by the police or the local administration, eyewitnesses alleged. As the effigy started burning, and firecrackers inside it started going off, many pulled out their phones to capture a video of the scene. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

A woman mourns the death of her relatives at the site of the Friday disaster in Amritsar. Wails and cries filled the air as people frantically looked for their near and dear ones. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

“We didn’t hear the train coming. It had become dark and everyone was watching the effigy when the train suddenly appeared,” said Mintoo, a migrant labourer staying nearby. Most of the victims are feared to be migrant labourers. According to a video of the tragic accident, many of the victims were shooting videos on their mobile phones or taking selfies. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

A man cries near the dead body of his brother kept on railway track after the train accident in Amritsar. Severed bodies, including those of children, were lying at the accident site hours after the incident with angry people not allowing authorities to remove them. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

“It took just about 10-15 seconds for the train to pass and leave behind a heap of crushed and dismembered bodies,” an eyewitness said. Seconds before the DMU train passed by, another train from Amritsar to Howrah via Jalandhar crossed an adjoining track but did not cause any casualty. There are three tracks in the area. A boundary wall separates the dhobi ghat ground from the tracks. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

People were seen crying and raising slogans against the state government, police and the district administration for lapses in making arrangements that led to the tragedy. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

Navjot Kaur Sidhu, the wife of Congress minister and Amritsar (East) MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu, arrived at the civil hospital but she had to face the ire of the people and beat a hasty retreat when relatives started raising slogans against her. She was chief guest at the Dussehra function. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

Amritsar, India-19 October, 2018::: Injured under the treatment admitted at Civil hospital A speeding train ran over a crowd watching fireworks during a religious festival in northern India on Friday,. 19 October, 2018. (Photo by Sameer Sehgal/Hindustan Times) (Sameer sehgal/ht )

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

Rapid action force deployed outside postmortem house in Amritsar. (sameer sehgal)

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

Relatives of those who killed during the train accident wait for the dead bodies outside Amritsar civil hospital’s mortuary house on Saturday. (sameer sehgal)

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

Relatives of those killed during the train accident mourn as they wait for the dead bodies outside the mortuary at Amritsar Civil Hospital on Saturday. (sameer sehgal)

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

Police said 20 post-mortems have been conducted at the Civil Hospital’s mortuary house and bodies are being handed over to the kin on Saturday. (sameer sehgal)

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Updated on Oct 20, 2018 10:49 am IST

Amritsar Train Tragedy: Shock, grief, anger engulf holy city

Police rescue the dead bodies kept on the railway track. Hundreds of people had gathered at an open ground near the manned crossing at Jaura Phatak, barely 70 metres from the Amritsar-Jalandhar double railway track where the celebrations were happening at around 7:15pm. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

A woman mourns the death of her relatives at the site of the Friday disaster in Amritsar. Wails and cries filled the air as people frantically looked for their near and dear ones. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

A man cries near the dead body of his brother kept on railway track after the train accident in Amritsar. Severed bodies, including those of children, were lying at the accident site hours after the incident with angry people not allowing authorities to remove them. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

People were seen crying and raising slogans against the state government, police and the district administration for lapses in making arrangements that led to the tragedy. (Sameer sehgal/ht )

Amritsar, India-19 October, 2018::: Injured under the treatment admitted at Civil hospital A speeding train ran over a crowd watching fireworks during a religious festival in northern India on Friday,. 19 October, 2018. (Photo by Sameer Sehgal/Hindustan Times) (Sameer sehgal/ht )

Rapid action force deployed outside postmortem house in Amritsar. (sameer sehgal)

Relatives of those who killed during the train accident wait for the dead bodies outside Amritsar civil hospital’s mortuary house on Saturday. (sameer sehgal)

Relatives of those killed during the train accident mourn as they wait for the dead bodies outside the mortuary at Amritsar Civil Hospital on Saturday. (sameer sehgal)

Police said 20 post-mortems have been conducted at the Civil Hospital’s mortuary house and bodies are being handed over to the kin on Saturday. (sameer sehgal)

A woman cries outside the mortuary at the Amritsar civil hospital. (sameer sehgal)

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