Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety(CCRS), S K Pathak, said in the report, ” ‘Negligence’ of people led to last month’s Amritsar tragedy in which 60 people were mowed down by a train as they watched Dussehra celebrations while standing on a railway track.”
The report reads, “Having carefully considered the factual material and circumstantial evidences so far available at my disposal, I have provisionally come to the conclusion that the unfortunate incident of running over of 60 persons near Jaura-Fatak near Amritsar railway station of Ferozpur division of Northern Railways on October 19, 2018 at 6:55 pm occurred due to the negligence of persons reportedly standing on and near railway track witnessing Dussehra Mela at Dhobi Ghat.”
After the inquiry of the accident, he classified it as “error in working by public near railway line” and gave further recommendations to avoid such accidents in the future. It was noticed that the spot of the incident was not visible till the train was within 200 metres of the revelers due to the S-curve.
According to the report, the incident took place at a time when there was smoke in the air due to firecrackers and burning of Ravana’s effigy. The permissible speed on this section was 100 kmph, the train was running at a speed of 82 kmph when the loco pilot saw the crowd and applied brakes. In the trial, it was seen that the braking distance of the train was 389 meters. 50 policemen were also present at the spot and despite them trying to move the crowd away from the tracks, the people did not oblige.
Railways had earlier refused to hold an inquiry into this matter and had called the case as one of ‘trespassing’. What pushed for a CCRS inquiry into the matter was Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla’s meeting Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal.
The report gives the following recommendations –
- A prior intimation to railway administration be given by the district administration/ organizers to hold big events like rallies so that railway can take proper precautions in consultation with stakeholders.
- Both the Government Railway Police (GRP), as well as the Railway Protection Force (RPF), should hold regular meetings with the state police and update all such events where large gatherings are expected in a calendar so that steps can be taken in advance to avoid such incidents.
- State administration in coordination with railway administration should also impart training and sensitize residents especially those living in the vicinity of tracks in urban areas of the dangers of straying on the tracks and the penalties that could be imposed.