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AMRITSAR, India (Reuters) – A fast-moving suburban train hit a crowd of people sitting on rails in northern India on Friday. At least 50 people were reportedly killed, Punjab state police and witnesses said.
People gather at the scene of the train crash in Amritsar, India on October 19, 2018, in this still picture taken from a video provided by Reuters TV. ANI News via REUTERS
"People were sitting on the tracks and around the outskirts of Amritsar looking at the fire effigies as part of the Dussehra festival when a suburban train ran through them", said a police officer to Reuters.
At least 60 people were admitted to the hospital with injuries, said the policeman in the control room, after what he called an "abnormal crash" since no one has heard the train approaching amid the din of festivities and fireworks.
The ANI news agency reported that a witness at the scene said the train running on passengers was traveling at high speed.
Amarinder Singh, prime minister of Punjab, said he was going to Amritsar to oversee relief and rescue operations.
"We also commissioned an investigation to find out why this incident took place," Singh told ANI, adding that there was still conflicting information on the death toll.
A witness told the Times Now television channel that members of the deceased's family were picking up corpses themselves and that no adequate rescue operation was in progress.
Victims' bodies were scattered around the scene and local TV stations showed people in distress and anger, including a crying mother who had just lost a child in the tragedy.
"A lot of students were gathered here and we can see so many unknown bodies hanging out and there is not even enough light here even now," said one person on site at a local channel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was extremely saddened by the train accident.
"The tragedy is heartbreaking," he tweeted. "My most sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones and I pray that the wounded will heal quickly. Have asked officials to provide the necessary immediate assistance.
The Indian railways, built mostly under the colonial regime, record a terrible toll after decades of underinvestment in rail safety infrastructure, with the priority still being to keep fares low for the 23 million passengers who use the railways. network daily.
A derailment that occurred in August 2017, which killed 23 people, was the fourth major accident on the world 's fourth largest rail network in one year' s time.
Report by Munish Sharma, Sudarshan Varadhan, Amit Ganguly and Sanjeev Miglani; Written by Euan Rocha; Edited by Mark Heinrich
