Tragedy at Panipat

Published February 20, 2007

DEWANA (India), Feb 19: Some details of the tragedy that struck the train bound for the border post of Attari on Monday night.

• There were 757 passengers aboard the train, including 553 Pakistanis, constituting the bulk of the casualties.

• According to Indian officials, the dead included 26 men, 14 women, 13 children and 15 bodies charred beyond physical recognition.

• Local authorities have sought help from the Military Centre in Ambala to embalm unidentified bodies to preserve them for some time, enabling their identification, said N.C. Wadhwa, Commissioner, Rohtak Range.

• Ten Pakistanis and two Indians, including a one-year-old baby, were fighting for their lives in New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.

• The train was travelling at about 90-100km/h when it was ordered to stop.

• Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced that $8,250 would be paid as compensation to the families of the dead while the injured passengers would receive $1,650 each.

• Pakistan Railway Minister Shaikh Rashid urged Indian authorities to stop the practice of ‘caging’ the train’s passengers in locked and barred bogies and blamed it for all the casualties.

• Indian Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav announced Rs1 million compensation for next of kin of each deceased. He also promised a job for every Indian killed and Rs50,000 for each of the in-jured.

• The following are some Indian helpline numbers: 1) 011-23341074, 23342954, 011-23389319, 23389853 and 23385106; 011-24355954; 0171-2610329, 2611072; 0183-2223171, 2564485; 0161-2760006; 0181-2223504; 0180-3297823, 6450342.

• The Indian High Commission in Islamabad has advised the relatives to approach the mission for inquiries and assistance. Contact phone numbers are: 051-2828378, 051-2828377, 051-2206950-4.—Agencies

Opinion

Editorial

Centre vs provinces
Updated 10 Jun, 2026

Centre vs provinces

The reason the centre finds itself in this position is rooted in its failure to expand the tax net and boost revenues.
Party in crisis
10 Jun, 2026

Party in crisis

THE young KP chief minister must be starting to realise just how thorny a seat he occupies. There has been a flurry...
Varsity woes
10 Jun, 2026

Varsity woes

FINANCIAL crises affecting public sector universities across Pakistan are now having an impact on academic...
Doctor attacked
09 Jun, 2026

Doctor attacked

AN act of reprehensible violence has shaken the medical community. On Saturday, an employee of the Provincial Civil...
AJK flare-up
Updated 09 Jun, 2026

AJK flare-up

The situation started deteriorating after a trader affiliated with the JAAC was reportedly shot in an altercation with law-enforcers.
Fault lines
09 Jun, 2026

Fault lines

THE April 8 ceasefire that halted hostilities between Israel and Iran has encountered its most serious test yet....