'Burning Ravana effigy, firecrackers, festive euphoria made people oblivious to approaching train'

A burning effigy of Ravana, firecrackers and festive euphoria made people oblivious to the approaching train and in a matter of seconds, bodies were left strewn on the railway tracks, according to eyewitnesses of the tragic incident here.

At least 59 people were killed Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of the Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak here.

"I was watching the burning of effigy of Ravana and suddenly I heard massive sound. After a few seconds, bodies of women, children and men were lying on the railway tracks. The moment was very devastating," Jaspreet, an eyewitness who was at the site, told PTI.

Another local, Gurpreet, said: "We all were busy watching the Dussehra celebrations. Huge voice of firecrackers drowned the sound of the arriving train and we could not understand for a few seconds what had happened."