Page 419 - Disaster Accident
Ambulance driver recounts 'very disturbing' scene at train accident site
An ambulance driver, who ferried some of the victims from the site of the train accident to the Guru Nanak Hospital here, Saturday described the scene as "very disturbing". Soon after the accident, the Ambulance Seva Samiti of the Guru Nanak Hospital, attached to Government Medical College in Amritsar, operated round-the-clock service. Ambulance driver Pratap Singh said that when they reached the site soon after the accident, the scene was horrifying with body parts scattered on tracks. Pratap Singh, along with Jaspal Singh and Gurbax Singh, recovered close to 15 bodies. At least 59 people were killed 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 when the accident occurred at Joda Phatak near Amritsar, where at least 300 people were watching 'Ravana dahan' at a ground adjacent to the tracks.
'Burning Ravana effigy, firecrackers, festive euphoria made people oblivious to approaching train'
A burning effigy of Ravana, firecrackers and festive euphoria made people oblivious to the approaching train and in a matter of seconds, bodies were left strewn on the railway tracks, according to eyewitnesses of the tragic incident here. At least 59 people were killed Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of the Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak here. "I was watching the burning of effigy of Ravana and suddenly I heard massive sound. After a few seconds, bodies of women, children and men were lying on the railway tracks. The moment was very devastating," Jaspreet, an eyewitness who was at the site, told PTI. Another local, Gurpreet, said: "We all were busy watching the Dussehra celebrations. Huge voice of firecrackers drowned the sound of the arriving train and we could not understand for a few seconds what had happened." The train was coming from Jalandhar when the accident occurred at .
Toll in Cyclone Titli increases to 61
The toll in Cyclone Titli and the subsequent floods in Odisha rose to 61, with the state government confirming four more casualties on Saturday. Reports of death of 11 more people were being verified at district level, Chief Secretary A P Padhi said after a review of relief and restoration activities in the 17 affected districts. He said four more people had died in the cyclone and the resultant floods. The state government had submitted a preliminary report to the Centre on the damage caused by the cyclone and the flood, Padhi said, adding it sought Rs 1,000 crore as interim assistance. Of the 61 deaths confirmed so far, three were fishermen from the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. They died while fishing near Odisha coast and their bodies were recovered, he said. On relief and restoration work in the calamity-hit districts, Padhi said the repair of all the roads, except in Sorada in Ganjam district and Daringbadi in Ganjam district, were completed. He said the supply of drinking water .
Grief and shock in Amritsar, rlys and civic officials distance themselves
The railways was not informed about the Dussehra event along the tracks and the civic body did not give its permission either, officials from the two organisations said Saturday, a day after 59 revellers were mowed down by a train while Ravana's effigy went up in flames in a cacophonous burst of firecrackers. Grief, shock and outrage swirled in the air as families, officials and others tried to piece together the sequence of events of festivities gone horribly wrong when a train from Jalandhar came hurtling down the tracks where scores of people were standing to get a better view of the spectacle. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who visited Joda Phatak, the site of the tragedy, and hospitals, announced a magisterial probe and said 59 people were killed and 57 injured. Officials earlier said 61 people were killed at the event, barely 50 metres from the railway track. Except nine, most of the bodies have been identified, Singh told reporters. Most of those killed are migrant ...
Amritsar train mishap: Magisterial inquiry ordered
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday announced that a magisterial inquiry under Divisional Commissioner of Jalandhar will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the train accident in which 59 people died on Friday evening. The Chief Minister has sought the inquiry report within four weeks.The chief minister told the media, "We are initiating a magisterial inquiry under Commissioner to find out the reasons for this mishap. He will submit a report within four weeks. Divisional Commissioner of Jalandhar will be conducting the inquiry."The train accident took place yesterday evening in Choura Bazar near Joda Phatak area of Amritsar after a speeding train, bound for Amritsar, ran over people who were watching Dussehra celebrations from the incident spot.On action against the organisers of the Dussehra event, Captain Amarinder Singh said, "I cannot pre-judge anything, we have initiated an inquiry. We are giving four weeks of time to reach a conclusion on every aspect." .
Most dead are from UP & Bihar, earning their livelihood in Amritsar: officials
Most people who were mowed down by a speeding train in Amritsar during Dussehra celebrations Friday evening were migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, an official said here Saturday. The accident has claimed 59 lives so far out of which 39 bodies have been identified by the authorities. A senior official in the district administration said most migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar work in an industrial area at a stone's throw away from the accident site and live nearby. The Dussehra celebration gathering Friday evening had a good number of people who belonged to these two states as the festival is celebrated with great devotion and pomp back in their home towns, he said. "As per initial reports, most of deceased were migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and were working in the industrial area to earn their livelihood," the official said. The official, however, did not give exact breakdown of numbers as 20 bodies were yet to be identified. Jagunandan, a ...
Railways was not intimated about Dussehra event near tracks: Lohani
The railways was not intimated about a Dussehra event along the tracks that led to the deaths of at least 61 people in Amritsar, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani said in a statement. He said that the accident occurred at a stretch between two stations -- Amritsar and Manawala, and not at a level crossing. "At midsections, trains run at their assigned speed and people are not expected to be on the tracks. At midsections, there is no railway staff posted. We have staff at level crossings whose job is to regulate traffic," he said, explaining why the railways was not alerted about the congregation by its staff. He said that the gateman was 400 metres away at a level crossing. He also said that if the driver had applied emergency brakes, there could have been a bigger tragedy. He said that the train was running at its assigned speed and initial reports suggest that the driver applied brakes and the train slowed down. "There was no information and no permission sought from us. The ...
Amarinder takes stock of relief work; orders magisterial probe
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Saturday ordered a magisterial probe into the Amritsar train accident after visiting injured and kin of those killed in the tragedy even as he urged the Opposition not to politicise the issue. The chief minister postponed a trip to Israel and arrived here this morning to assess the damage. "We are announcing a magisterial probe into the incident," Singh said while talking to media here. He said four weeks have been given to submit the report to find out who was at fault. The divisional commissioner of Jalandhar has been entrusted with the job of holding the inquiry, he said. At least 59 people were killed Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled on to railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak here. At least 300 people were watching the 'Ravana dahan' at a ground adjacent to the tracks. Singh visited the injured in Amandeep Hospital, Civil Hospital and Guru Nanak
Man who essayed character of Ravana among killed in train accident
The man who played the character of demon king Ravana at the Ram Leela at Joda Phatak was among those killed in the train accident. After he enacted the role of Ravana, Dalbir Singh, in his twenties, was watching the burning of an effigy from the tracks when he, along with 58 others, was run over by a train. Dalbir has an eight-month-old daughter. Unable to control her emotions, Dalbir Singh's mother said her son was playing different characters in the Ram Leela for the past many years. "My son played the role of Ravana at the Ram Leela, which was held on the ground at Dhobi Ghat adjacent to Joda Phatak...he is no more...He too was run over by the train," the mother said. Manoj, a friend of Dalbir, said he had been playing the role of Ravana for the past five years at the Ram Leela, which is held at a ground a little distance away from the accident site. His mother says said that Dalbir's body would not be cremated until the family gets compensation from the government. Seeking job ..
Amritsar Train Tragedy: Family of 13-year-old victim holds protest
Distraught family of a 13-year-old, who died in the Amritsar train accident, staged a protest at the Amritsar-Jalandhar highway on Saturday.Family members of the victim, whose name was Satish, demonstrated with the deceased's body and blocked the highway for commuters. They demanded compensation from the government and blamed authorities for the tragic incident."He went to see the fair, but never returned," said the victim's grieved father.Another man present at the protest claimed to be present at the spot when the tragedy struck on Friday night."The train driver did not blow the whistle, many of us being grown-ups got out of the way but he (Satish) was young he couldn't understand what to do. The train was clocking a speed of over 100 km per hour, I even have a video," said the man.The accident took place in Choura Bazar near Jhoda Phatak area of Amritsar after a train ran over the crowd, standing along train tracks, to watch an effigy of Ravan being burnt. 60 people died in the ...
2 dead as car falls into gorge in Uttarakhand
Two persons were killed and one critically injured when a car fell in a gorge in Tehri district of Uttarakhand in the wee hours of Saturday, police said.
Vladimir Putin, Imran Khan express grief over Amritsar train mishap
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan offered condolences over the train accident in Amritsar, which claimed nearly 60 lives.In a message to those affected in the tragedy, Putin said, "I offer my deepest sympathies over tragic consequences of an accident on railways in Punjab. I ask to convey my words of sympathy and support to families and friends of killed people and to wish soonest recovery to those injured."Khan wrote on his Twitter handle, "Saddened to learn of the tragic train accident in Amritsar India. Condolences go to the families of the deceased."The accident took place in Choura Bazar near Joda Phatak area of Amritsar on Friday, where a large number of people had gathered along a railway track to watch burning of Ravana effigy when a Jalandhar to Amritsar local train crushed them. In the tragedy, as many as 59 people lost their lives while 57 others sustained injuries.Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh .
Amritsar train tragedy was avoidable, railway not at fault: Manoj Sinha
Union Minister of State (MoS) for Railways Manoj Sinha on Saturday asserted that Amritsar train accident was completely avoidable and the Railways was not at fault.While stressing that organisers should have realised the danger of holding such events so close to a railway track, Sinha said, "It is not a fault of Railways because the department was not informed of any such event going on at the place. Generally when such events are organised the local administration grants permission but the officials denied giving any such permission for this particular event."Elaborating on the issue, he said: "The level-crossing is about 300 meters away from the place of incident. The railway track is at some height and when the Ravan effigy was burnt, people couldn't hear the horn of the train due to crackers being burnt at the time."On being asked about event organisers absconding since the incident, the MoS said, "Law and order is a state government subject. Punjab chief minister has already ...
Train driver not at fault: Northern Railway CPRO on Amritsar mishap
Northern Railway 's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Deepak Kumar on Saturday ascertained that preliminary questioning with the driver has been conducted and prima-facie he is not being seen at fault.CPRO Kumar said, "To ascertain the cause of the accident, everyone involved is questioned. The driver has also been part of the preliminary investigation and there is no suspension as of yet. Prima facie he is not being seen at fault, he was driving the train at its regular speed. Amritsar-Howrah Mail had passed the same spot two minutes before the accident occurred."He also asserted that a loco pilot cannot suddenly apply break to a speeding train as it can put life of passengers on stake.He said, "A loco pilot has the responsibility of all the passengers traveling in the train. Deploying immediate brake in a speeding train can endanger the lives of thousands of people traveling in it.""There is a curvature at the spot of the accident. Definitely, it affects the visibility and the .
Artist playing Ravan among victims of Amritsar train tragedy
Dalbir Singh, the artist who played the role of Ravan at the tragedy-stricken Ramleela also passed away after a train plowed into a crowd that had spilled over to a railway track to watch Dussehra fireworks here.Singh had completed his act on-stage and was in the event to collect a shield of appreciation when the tragedy hit him. He is survived by an 8-month-old daughter and a wife.Grieving death of his son, Mother of the victim, Sawan Kaur demanded an inquiry and compensation. She said, "There should be an enquiry to ascertain as to what led to this accident. We want that the government should provide us with aid."Deceased victim's brother Balbir Singh said, "Ramleela happens here every year. My brother was playing the role of Ravan in the Ramleela. The Ramleela stage play had culminated and he went to Dussehra celebration to receive a shield for his performance. He was at the site when the Raavan Effigy was being burned. When the speeding train hit the people, he tried to help ...
Minister denies Railways' lapse in Amritsar tragedy
A day after 60 hapless Dussehra revellers were mowed down by a train here in Punjab, Union Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha on Saturday said his ministry is not to be blamed for any lapses leading to the disaster.
Stop sugarcane farming, Samruddhi E-way to save water: Expert
Scarcity of drinking water was leading to a huge migration crisis in Maharashtra, economist and former member of State Planning Board H M Desarda, said on Friday, and sought an immediate ban on water-guzzling crops like sugarcane in the state. He also demanded that big-ticket projects like the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway should be immediately be stopped as they require huge amount of water. The Samruddhi corridor is the pet project of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Desarda, who is also the vice president of the state Drought Mitigation and Famine Eradication Board, said in a press conference here that Maharashtra was heading towards an unprecedented famine situation due to man-made factors and failure of government policies, and not due to natural causes. "Earlier, natural resources like ground water banks were intact. But now, in the last 40 years, we have exhausted all the water. In 1961, one lakh agriculture pump-sets were in use in ...
Amarinder visits injured, orders magisterial inquiry into incident
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Saturday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Amritsar train accident and said a report will be submitted in four weeks. Singh reached hospital and met the injured and kin of those killed in the tragic accident here. At least 61 people were killed Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak here.
SC seeks Centre's plan for 2004-Tsunami hit farmers of Andaman and Nicobar
The Supreme Court has directed the Central government to submit a rehabilitation plan for the farmers in Andaman and Nicobar Island who were affected by 2004 Tsunami.Many farmers from the island had lost their land and livelihood in the 2004 Tsunami.The apex court has sought a report regarding rehabilitation of farmers, many of whom have no means of livelihood left after their land got washed away in the 2004 natural disaster.The top court, which was hearing a bunch of applications over the issue, also noted that one of the major problems faced by the farmers is masses of land were washed away as a result of the Tsunami that struck the islands.Additional Solicitor General ANS Nadkarni told the court that "there is hardly any land available for compensatory afforestation."He also informed the bench that as much as 87 per cent of the land mass in the region is a natural notified forest.The ASG, however, suggested that the "peculiar problems" faced by the farmers can be sorted out ...
UN chief Guterres, Canadian PM Trudeau condole Amritsar train accident
UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed his deepest condolences to the families and friends of over 60 people who died in a train accident in Amritsar, terming the incident as "tragic". At least 61 people were killed and 72 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. The train was coming from Punjab's Jalandhar city when the accident occurred at Joda Phatak near Amritsar, where at least 300 people were watching 'Ravana dahan' at a ground adjacent to the tracks. "My heart goes to all in Amritsar following Friday's tragic accident. Earlier this month, I was honoured to visit the Golden Temple and witnessed the warmth and generosity of the people. My deepest condolences to those who have lost family and loved ones," Guterres said in a tweet. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also condoled the accident in which 39 of the total 61 people killed have been identified ..