#AmritsarTrainTragedy: Protesters removed from track, train services resume after 40hrs
Over 40 hours after the accident in Amritsar in which 59 Dussehra revelers were mowed down by a train, protesters were cleared off the tracks and services resumed on Sunday afternoon. The Railways got the clearance from local authorities at 12:30 pm, a railway spokesperson said. "First goods train started from Manawala to Amritsar at 1416 hours," said Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar.
Punjab Police cleared track off protesters who were staging sit-in
The goods train will be followed by mail/express trains, Deepak Kumar said. Senior Divisional Security Commissioner (Railways), Firozpur Division, S Sudharkar, said, "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.
Agitated protesters resorted to stone-pelting, clashed with security personnel
When they were removed, the agitated protesters 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. The protestors were raising slogans against the state government and demanding the resignation of Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu. The Punjab Police has deployed its personnel, including commandos, to manage the crowd.
40 of 59 people killed have been identified
Apart from Punjab Police, the Rapid Action Force is also present in the Joda Phatak 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.
