Amritsar train accident: Not 59, at least 200-plus people died, claim eyewitnesses

Sub Divisional Magistrate Rajesh Sharma said 61 people, including women and children, have died and at least 72 injured have been admitted to Amritsar hospital. However, the local residents and the eyewitnesses have told a different story to ABP News.

Denying to the death count filed by the administration, the bystanders claimed that at least 150-200 lost their lives in this horrifying incident. One of the locals who were present at the spot said, “At least 200-plus people were rammed by the train.”

When the nearby people were further questioned, they came up with shocking revelations. As they stated, those who lost their lives in the mishap were mostly migrants from other states who have been residing close to Joda Phatak.

Further, they also revealed that moments after the accident, the policemen arrived at the spot to move the corpses away so as to state a lesser number of victims.

The injured were soon rushed to the nearby hospitals. A few of those spoke to ABP News and opened up describing that horrific event.

“We came to watch the Dussehra function. The burning Ravana effigy and bursting crackers didn’t let us have any idea about the train,” said a victim who somehow survived the massacre but unfortunately, lost his daughter.

A lady eyewitness told that the event was scheduled to end by 6 pm to 6:30 pm in the evening. However, the chief guest, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, turned up late which further delayed the program. Had she arrived on time, the tragedy would have been ignored.