The Punjab Police has deployed its personnel, including commandoes, to manage the crowd. The Rapid Action Force is also present in the Joda Patak area.
People gather at the scene of the accident along the railway tracks. (Photo: AFP)
The situation remained tense on Sunday in Amritsar as locals continued with their sit-in at Joda Patak where 59 Dussehra revellers were mowed down by Jalandhar-Amritsar Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) passenger train.
The protest began on Saturday as the locals raised slogans against the state government and demanded action against the train’s driver, a day after the accident.
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Police said locals are sitting on railway tracks and do not want to leave.
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“We hope that the normalcy will be restored in the area by Sunday evening as the number of protestors have come down since Saturday,” a senior police officer said.
The Punjab Police has deployed its personnel, including commandoes, to manage the crowd. The Rapid Action Force is also present in the Joda Patak area.
The district administration has said out of 59 people who were mowed down by the speeding Jalandhar-Amritsar train Friday, 40 have been identified.
The process of identifying the other persons is underway, it said.
Read | Amritsar train accident: Driver detained, says had been given green signal
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who visited the accident site Saturday, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, including finding out if mandatory permissions for holding the function were given.
Amarinder, who visited the accident site and the injured in hospitals on Saturday, said the Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner will conduct an inquiry within four weeks.
“Action will be taken against those responsible for the tragedy once the inquiry report comes,” he said.
Asked if there were any lapses on the part of the railways, the Chief Minister said the probe would look into the matter. “It (the probe) will ascertain whether approvals for holding the function were given,” Amarinder said.
Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal demanded that a case of murder be registered against the organizers, who are mostly ruling Congress leaders.
“This is a massacre and murder. The organizers should be booked for murder of these people,” said SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal after visiting the accident spot.
Union Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha on Saturday said that the railway ministry is not to be blamed for any lapses leading to the disaster.
(With inputs from agencies)
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