Amritsar accident: Protesters removed from track, train services resume after 40 hours
Amritsar, Oct 21: Over 40 hours after the accident in Amritsar in which 59 Dussehra revellers were mowed down by a train, protesters were cleared off the tracks and services resumed on Sunday afternoon, a railway spokesperson said.
The railways got the clearance from local authorities at 12:30 pm, the spokesperson said.
"First goods train started from Manawala to Amritsar at 1416 hours," said Northern Railways spokesperson Deepak Kumar. This train will be followed by mail/express trains, he said.
Amritsar train accident: Over 5,000 people standing on railway tracks, claims organiser in video
Senior Divisional Security Commissioner (Railways), Firozpur Division, S Sudharkar told PTI, "Train services have resumed on the affected rail track (Joda Phatak). A goods train was allowed to run on this track."
Earlier in the day, the Punjab Police cleared the track off the protesters who were staging a sit-in. When they were removed, the agitated protestors resorted to stone-pelting and clashed with security personnel, officials said.
A Punjab police commando and a photojournalist were injured during the clash, they said.
Man who essayed character of Ravan died saving people at Amritsar
The protestors were raising slogans against the state government and demanding resignation of Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.
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, officials said.
The district administration has said that out of 59 people who were mowed down by the speeding Jalandhar-Amritsar train Friday, 40 have been identified.
PTI