India Train Disaster: Death toll reaches 61 amid anger over safety
Updated 19:44, 24-Oct-2018
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Now to India's Punjab Province, where the deaths of over 60 people in a train mishap have left the entire city of Amritsar mourning and searching for answers. The government and railway authorities blame each other for the incident. Shweta Bajaj has the details.
A mother mourns the death of her son. Dalbir Singh played "ravana" in the Dussehra festivities here for years. On Friday, as the train moved into a crowd watching a procession, Dalbir saved at least eight others before losing his balance and getting crushed underneath himself. He leaves behind a mourning family, including a 4-month-old daughter. His family members are refusing to perform his last rites until they get some answers from the government.
SWARN KAUR MOTHER OF A VICTIM "My son had gone to the function with other people who were performing there. When he saw the train, he started warning people. He rushed and saved others, and then went under the train and died while doing that."
HAPPY SINGH BROTHER OF A VICTIM "It's a mistake by the festival organisers and railway authorities. There is no discipline, they don't come on time and for most of the trains, there is no security."
On one side, the politicians blame the railway ministry for the train not slowing down. Despite this being India's biggest tragedy this year, the railway authorities say there won't be any inquiry, because no railway property was damaged and no passenger was affected. The frustration and anger among families and survivors is only rising.
While the death toll is officially pegged at 61, eyewitnesses say the number of those killed could be much higher. Many migrant workers stayed around that area, and a lot were on the tracks that night. For families of those 61 people who lost their lives, there will always be unanswered questions.
SHWETA BAJAJ AMRITSAR, INDIA "People here are protesting and asking for justice for the lives lost. Meanwhile the political parties and railway ministry, both continue to play the blame game. Investigations will go on but, as far as justice is concerned, these people's effort will probably not lead anywhere. Shweta Bajaj, CGTN, Amritsar, Punjab, India."