Dozens are feared dead after a train ran over a crowd of people near railway tracks in Amritsar, near the Pakistani border. Many more have been injured.
Police say that they are expecting over 50 casualties, and Indian newspaper First Post is reporting 30 deaths, after a train plowed at high speed through a crowded religious rally, which appears to have been held alongside a railway track.
Unverified video footage from the scene shows the train plowing through the crowd, who had gathered to burn an effigy of Hindu demon-king Ravana, the culmination of the yearly festival of Dussehra.
BREAKING VIDEO: The moment when train in India, Amritsar, ran over a religious rally when they were burning some effigy, caught on camera pic.twitter.com/UgvyRYzpXj
— Khalid khi (@khalid_pk) October 19, 2018
Witnesses report several children among the victims, and say that the revelers did not hear the train approach due to the loud bangs of fireworks.
#Punjab: Police says, "There are more than 50 casualties. We are evacuating people, injured taken to the hospital", on accident in which several are feared dead in Choura Bazar near Amritsar pic.twitter.com/ITMeckyIN4
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2018
Rescue operations are currently underway, as police and volunteers search for bodies under the debris.
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