At least 50 people were killed Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Amritsar, officials said. The train was coming from Jalandhar to Amritsar when the incident occurred at Joda Phatak. At least 300 people were at the spot watching 'Ravana dahan' at a ground near the tracks. Sub Divisional Magistrate Amritsar I Rajesh Sharma said 50 bodies have been found and at least 50 injured have been admitted to a government hospital. As the effigy was lit and the fireworks went off, a section of the crowd started retreating towards the tracks where a large number of people were already standing to watch the event, officials said. However, two trains arrived from the opposite direction at the same time giving little opportunity to people to escape, they said.
Several people were mowed down by one of the trains, they said.