Relatives mourn by the body of a victim of a train accident in Amritsar, India, Friday, Oct. 19, 2018. A speeding train ran over a crowd watching fireworks during a religious festival in northern India... (Associated Press) 
 
 Relatives mourn by the body of a victim of a train accident in Amritsar, India, Friday, Oct. 19, 2018. A speeding train ran over a crowd watching fireworks during a religious festival in northern India on Friday, killing at least 50 people, a Congress party leader said. (AP Photo/Prabhjot Gill) (Associated Press) 
 
 NEW DELHI (AP) — A speeding train ran over a crowd watching fireworks during a religious festival in northern India on Friday evening, killing at least 60 people and injuring dozens more, police said. 
 
 The train failed to stop after the accident on the outskirts of Amritsar, a city in Punjab state, said the state governing Congress party politician, Pratap Singh Bajwa. 
 
 Railway police officer Sukhwinder Singh said Saturday morning that the death toll had risen to 60. Another 50 people have been injured and hospitalized. 
 
 The Press Trust of India news agency said two trains arrived from the opposite direction on separate tracks at the same time, giving little opportunity for people to escape. The casualties were caused by one of the trains, it quoted officials as saying. 
 
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was extremely saddened by the accident. "Have asked officials to provide immediate assistance that is required," Modi said on Twitter. 
 
 A witness said the train didn't even sound its whistle as it sped past the site, where hundreds were watching the burning of an effigy of demon Ravana during the Hindu festival of Dussehra. As the effigy was lit and the fireworks started, a section of the crowd started retreating toward railroad tracks while observing the event. 
 
 "Why did authorities allow the fireworks display so close to the railroad track?'" he asked. He told the Republic television channel that he lost two brothers. 
 
 Another witness said the victims didn't realize that a train was coming because the fireworks were too loud. 
 
 Navjot Kaur Siddhu, a local Congress party politician who was the chief guest at the religious function, said the celebrations take place in the area every year and railroad authorities are alerted to run the trains at slow speeds. 
 
 A large number of people live in the area with homes on both sides of the railroad track, she said. 
 
 However, Junior Railways Minisfter Manoj Sinha said after visiting the accident site that organizers did not alert railroad authorities about their plan to hold the event there. 
 
 Shatrughan Das, an injured 35-year-old factory worker, said he was sitting close to the tracks watching the fireworks. "I didn't see the train coming. I fell unconscious. I saw the police taking me to a hospital as I regained consciousness." 
 
 "I am feeling a strong headache and pain in my back and legs," Das said from his hospital bed, adding his injuries were not serious. 
 
 Following the accident, people rushed to the site, nearly 465 kilometers (290 miles) north of New Delhi, and shouted at railway officials for not taking precautions. 
 
 At least 50 injured were admitted to a government-run hospital, PTI quoted Rajesh Sharma, a magistrate, as saying. 
 
 While accidents are relatively common on India's sprawling rail network, Friday's was among the deadliest in recent years. In 2016, 146 people were killed when a train slid off railroad tracks in eastern India. ||||| Extremely saddened by the train accident in Amritsar. The tragedy is heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences to the… https://t.co/6jiATjWfM6 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1539961804000 
 
 Pained beyond words at the loss of precious lives due to a train tragedy during Dussehra festivities in Punjab. My… https://t.co/WMjDUqrtc4 — राजनाथ सिंह (@rajnathsingh) 1539960766000 
 
 Shocked to hear about the tragedy on rail tracks in Amritsar, Punjab. Understand Indian Railways and local authorit… https://t.co/jziHlFX7bp — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) 1539961597000 
 
 The train accident in Punjab in which over 50 people have died is shocking. I urge the state government & Congress… https://t.co/x8REkRzHgv — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 1539961822000 
 
 CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased in the Amritsar train accident on Friday and said he was rushing to the spot to personally supervise rescue and relief operations.At least 50 people were killed when a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching burning of Ravana effigy was run over by a train near here, officials said.The chief minister also announced free treatment to all injured in the accident.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.Officials said the toll may be higher.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 saidSeveral people were mowed down by one of the trains, they added
– A speeding train ran over a crowd watching fireworks during a religious festival in northern India on Friday evening, killing at least 60 people and injuring dozens more, police said. The train failed to stop after the accident on the outskirts of Amritsar, a city in Punjab state, according to a state lawmaker. Railway police officer Sukhwinder Singh said Saturday morning that the death toll had risen to 60, the AP reports; another 50 people have been injured and hospitalized. The Times of India reports that two trains arrived from the opposite direction on separate tracks at the same time, giving little opportunity for people to escape. The casualties were caused by one of the trains, it quoted officials as saying. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was extremely saddened by the accident. "Have asked officials to provide immediate assistance that is required," Modi said on Twitter. A witness said the train didn't even sound its whistle as it sped past the site, where hundreds were watching the burning of an effigy of demon Ravana during the Hindu festival of Dussehra. As the effigy was lit and the fireworks started, a section of the crowd started retreating toward railroad tracks while observing the event. "Why did authorities allow the fireworks display so close to the railroad track?" he asked. He told television reporters that he lost two brothers. Another witness said the victims didn't realize that a train was coming because the fireworks were too loud. (One woman woke from a bike crash and couldn't speak English.)