October 20, 2018:

On Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has ordered an inquiry into the tragic Amritsar Train Accident in which at least 58 people were killed and 72 injured and declared one -day mourning in the state on Saturday.

Chief Minister, who was scheduled to leave for Israel this evening, has postponed his trip & will fly to Amritsar in the morning to personally supervise relief operations & meet families of the victims of the incident, which occurred during Dussehra festivities.

Chief Minister tweeted,"The state will remain in mourning tomorrow in view of #Amritsar train mishap. All offices & educational institutions will remain closed."

In another tweet he expressed,"Have set up Crisis Management Group under @BrahmMohindra to monitor relief & rehabilitation efforts in #Amritsar. Won't spare any efforts on part of govt to tackle the crisis."

According to Raveen Thukral (media advisor to the Chief Minister), initial reports suggest the incident occurred during a stampede, as people towards the tracks when crackers went off during 'Ravana Dahan'.

Reports suggest that the train ploughed through the crowd on the tracks, leading to the tragedy. So far, 40 people have been confirmed dead & many injured. However, the death toll could rise as relief operations are underway.

Punjab's Home Secretary, Health Secretary & DGP (Law & Order) have left for Amritsar.

Source: TOI

Picture Source :