Protesters blocking the tracks were removed and services resumed on Sunday afternoon, 40 hours after the accident
Protesters throw stones at cops, who clear the railway tracks to resume services, during a protest at the site of the accident on Sunday. Pic/AFP
A Punjab police commando and a photo journalist were injured on Sunday when security personnel removed protesters from a rail track where a train mowed down 59 Dussehra revellers, officials said.
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The agitated protesters blocking the track were removed and train services resumed on Sunday afternoon, 40 hours after the horrific accident, a railway spokesperson said. On Friday evening, a gathering of more than 300 people were on the tracks to watch the burning of a Ravana effigy when the speeding train struck leaving 59 dead and scores injured. The first goods train started from Manawala to Amritsar at 14:16 hours, Northern Railways spokesperson Deepak Kumar said.
The railways got the clearance from local authorities at 12:30 pm to restore services, the railway spokesperson said. "Train services resumed on the affected rail track near Joda Phatak," Senior Divisional Security Commissioner (Railways), Firozpur Division, S Sudharkar said. Earlier in the day, the Punjab police cleared the track of the protesters, who were staging a sit-in.
Minister Sidhu refuses to react
Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu refused to react to SAD's demands for his dismissal and lodging of an FIR against his wife over the accident. The SAD had made the demands as Sidhu's wife had presided over an "unauthorised" event close to the tracks near Joda Phatak.
ADGP Railways to conduct probe
Punjab DGP Suresh Arora said ADGP (Railways) Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota would conduct an inquiry into the Amritsar train accident to fix responsibility. There has been "negligence" on someone's part and this probe has been ordered to fix accountability, the DGP told the media.
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