Journalism of Courage
At least 59 people were killed and several others injured when two speeding trains mowed down people standing on the tracks near a railway crossing in Amritsar. The victims were watching a Ravan effigy being burnt at a Dussehra celebration. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who visited the injured in the hospital, sought a report within four weeks. (Express photo by Sahil Walia)
At least 300 spectators were present at the Dhobi Ghat ground, barely 2 km from the Amritsar station, when the incident took place. Many of them stood on the tracks close to the Jaura Phatak crossing to get a better view and were taking videos of the burning Ravan as the first of the trains, 74643 Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU, ran them over. (Express photo by Sahil Walia)
Union minister of state for Railways Manoj Sinha reached Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar to take stock of the situation. The state government has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh as compensation to then ext of kin of those who were killed. (Express photo by Gurmeet Singh)
Due to lack of space and resources, the mortuary at the Amritsar Civil Hospital struggled to accommodate bodies which were sent in from the accident site. Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at Civil Hospital and Guru Nanak Hospital, where most of the injured people were taken Friday night. While 39 bodies have been kept at the Amritsar Civil Hospital, the remaining 20 have been kept at Guru Nanak Hospital. Dalbir Singh, who played the role of Ravan during a Ramlila play, also died in the tragedy. (Express photo by Gurmeet Singh)
After meeting the families of the victims, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh ordered an immediate release of Rs 3 crore to the district collectorate for payment of compensation to the family of the deceased. (Express photo by Rana Simranjit Singh)
Scores of people staged a sit-in on the railway tracks and raised slogans against the state government, demanding action against the train driver. One of the protesters alleged the train passed the area at a high speed and that the driver did not slow down the train despite the presence of a large crowd. (Express photo by Rana Simranjit Singh)
In the wake of Friday's mishap, Punjab Police commandos and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been deployed at the site of the accident to manage a huge crowd. Several policemen have been deployed in the area. (Express photo by Rana Simranjit Singh)
The Amritsar police said they had given permission for the Dussehra celebration at the Dhobi Ghat ground near Jaura Phatak crossing, but the organisers did not take the other required permission from the Municipal Corporation, the Health and the Fire Departments. (Express photo by Rana Simranjit Singh)
The state government has also declared Saturday a day of mourning in the state. Offices and educational institutions remained shut. (Express photo by Rana Simranjit Singh)
