AMRITSAR, OCT 20: Hours after 60 people were crushed to death by a train while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy here, the Railways on Saturday said it was not responsible for the tragedy.
Northern Railways spokesperson Deepak Kumar said in a statement that the event was organised in an area which does not belong to the railways.
It also said that neither the area administration nor the organisers informed it about any Dusshera ceremony at the spot.
"Therefore granting permission from the Railway's does not arise," Kumar added. No information about the event was given to the railway authorities by the civil administration."
He said at the time of the incident on Friday evening the gates of the manned level crossing were closed.
A senior Railway Ministry official, however, admitted that the loco-pilots of the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Jalandhar-Amritsar Passenger train did not apply emergency brakes. - IANS
AMRITSAR, OCT 20: Hours after 60 people were crushed to death by a train while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy here, the Railways on Saturday said it was not responsible for the tragedy.
Northern Railways spokesperson Deepak Kumar said in a statement that the event was organised in an area which does not belong to the railways.
It also said that neither the area administration nor the organisers informed it about any Dusshera ceremony at the spot.
"Therefore granting permission from the Railway's does not arise," Kumar added. No information about the event was given to the railway authorities by the civil administration."
He said at the time of the incident on Friday evening the gates of the manned level crossing were closed.
A senior Railway Ministry official, however, admitted that the loco-pilots of the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Jalandhar-Amritsar Passenger train did not apply emergency brakes. - IANS
