Amritsar Tragedy: Under fire for delayed visit, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh says we are doing the best we can

Questioned over the delay in reaching Amritsar after a train accident that killed 59 people, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that the state government is doing the best it can and the entire state cabinet is in the city.

Mr. Singh said he was in Delhi and was to leave for Tel Aviv, Israel when he heard of the accident. He added that did not reach Amritsar on Friday as the administration was involved with relief and rescue and a VIP visit would have affected the operation.

"I was on my way to Tel Aviv. Governor came here yesterday. Many ministers came. When a tragedy occurs the entire administration gets involved. They cannot come and welcome VIPs. We have come here as soon as we could come. Today, the entire cabinet of Punjab is here," Singh said during his visit to Amritsar.

At least 59 people were killed and 72 injured Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revelers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of Ravana effigy was run over by a train in Amritsar.

Singh said he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the tragic accident and facts will come out in four weeks.

When asked to divulge details about the tragedy, he said he did not want to pre-judge and would wait for the inquiry to complete.

"We are ordering a magisterial inquiry into the incident under the police commissioner who will submit a report in 4 weeks," he said.

He also met the injured and kin of those killed in the tragic accident in the hospital.

While the administration had earlier said 61 people were killed, the chief minister put the death toll at 59.

59 people were killed and 57 injured in the accident, he said, adding except nine, most of the bodies have been identified. Earlier, Sub Divisional Magistrate Rajesh Sharma had said that 61 people, including women and children, have died and at least 72 injured have been admitted to hospitals.

Singh said compensation of Rs five lakh each for the families of the deceased had already been announced by the state government.

Besides, the government would bear the cost of medical treatments of the injured admitted to different hospitals, he told reporters.

After landing at the Amritsar airport, Singh reached the accident site. He met senior officials and members of the crisis management group and took stock of the relief work.

He was accompanied by Health Minister Brahm Mohindra, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Education Minister O P Soni, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, among others.

The incident took place on Friday evening when at least 300 people were watching the 'Ravana Dahan' at a ground adjacent to the tracks. As the effigy was lit and fireworks went off, a section of the crowd started retreating towards the tracks where a large number of people were already standing to watch the event, officials had said.

The train was coming from Jalandhar when the accident occurred at Joda Phatak near Amritsar.

A video of the tragic incident showed that several people were run over by a train when they were watching the burning of an effigy of demon king Ravana, as part of the Dussehra celebrations.

All offices and educational institutions will remain closed on Saturday in view of the tragedy.


SOURCE: