Frantic search goes on for loved ones

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 21

At around 3 pm on Sunday, one Geeta Devi turned up at the train accident site near Joda railway crossing along with her three children. She claimed that her husband Santosh Yadav, who attended the Dasehra celebrations at the mishap site on Friday, had been missing after the accident.

According to Geeta, she has come from Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh. She decided to visit Amritsar after listening to the accident news as she has lost contact with her husband. Police officials took her to the Civil Hospital for identification of the patients. However, she could not find her husband.

Two more persons, claiming to have been injured in the accident, turned up at the Government Medical College (GMC) and were admitted only after they insisted repeatedly for the same. “While one of them has a minor injury, the other one has no visible injury and nothing has come out in the x-ray reports,” said GMC Medical Superintendent Dr Surinder Paul.

Dr Paul said the two came on the third day of the mishap. “This creates suspicion,” he said. The government has already announced compensation for the dead and the injured.

Another man turned up at the railway tracks carrying red slippers claiming that he had found these on the tracks and these belong to his brother who had attended the Dasehra festival. His brother, according to him, is missing.

Earlier in the day, before pelting stones at a police party, residents claimed that a number of people from the area had been missing and they, probably, had died in the train tragedy. They alleged that the government was hiding something.

A resident of Mohkampura, Kamal, claimed that two labourers living near his home were missing. Many others in the area claimed that their relatives or family members were missing.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kamaldeep Singh Sangha said, “We have been receiving such claims. This is a sensitive issue, but most of the claims are far from reality. It seems that some elements are trying to create confusion and get undue benefits.” Sangha said that each and every claim was being looked into.

Stone pelting at cops

Angry residents hurled bricks and stones at the cops who were trying to clear the rail tracks. A cop, Simaranjeet Singh sustained an eye injury and was rushed to the Civil Hospital. The security personnel had to resort to mild force to disperse them.