Amritsar train accident: Punjab CM orders inquiry, declares 1-day mourning
Chandigarh, Oct 19: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Friday ordered an inquiry into the tragic Amritsar train accident in which at least 58 people were killed and 72 injured and declared one-day mourning in the state on Saturday.
The chief minister, who was scheduled to leave for Israel this evening, has postponed his trip and will fly to Amritsar in the morning to personally supervise relief operations and meet families of the victims of the incident, which occurred during Dussehra festivities, an official statement said.
"The state will remain in mourning tomorrow in view of #Amritsar train mishap. All offices & educational institutions will remain closed," the chief minister tweeted.
"Have set up Crisis Management Group under @BrahmMohindra to monitor relief & rehabilitation efforts in #Amritsar. Won't spare any efforts on part of govt to tackle the crisis," he said in another tweet.
The Group is led by Health Minister Brahm Mohindra, with state minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as its members.
Acting on the chief minister's directives, Sarkaria and Mohindra have already rushed to Amritsar to supervise rescue and relief operations.
According to Raveen Thukral, media advisor to the chief minister, initial reports suggest the incident occurred during a stampede, as people rushed towards the tracks when crackers went off during 'Ravana dahan'.
Reports suggest that the train ploughed through the crowd on the tracks, leading to the tragedy. So far, 58 people have been confirmed dead and many injured. However, the death toll could rise as relief operations are underway.
Additional police force has been rushed to the spot to control the situation in the wake of the incident.
Punjab's Home Secretary, Health Secretary and DGP (Law & Order) have also left for Amritsar.
Singh has issued orders to mobilize all necessary administrative and police personnel on a war footing to help the district administration tackle the situation.
The chief minister has also directed the chief secretary to deploy administrative officials to ensure that the injured people are hospitalised immediately.
All private hospitals have been asked to remain open to provide urgent free treatment and care to the injured.
The chief minister said a thorough probe will be conducted into the incident. Why an effigy was allowed to be burnt close to the railway tracks will also be investigated.
Expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, the chief minister has announced immediate ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
