1991 Punjab killings
The 1991 Punjab killings was a massacre of train passengers that occurred on 15 June 1991 in the Ludhiana district of the Indian State of Punjab, where Sikh militants killed at least 80 to 126 passengers[1] travelling in two trains.
| 1991 Punjab killings | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ludhiana district, Punjab, India |
| Date | 15 June 1991 |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Deaths | 80-126 |
| Perpetrators | Sikh militants, |
Events
The militants stopped the two trains about a kilometre from Ludhiana station by pulling their emergency cords, triggering emergency brakes. They proceeded to open fire inside the trains at around 9:35 p.m. (IST), killing at least 80 passengers.[2]
On the second train, the Dhuri-Hisar passenger train, the militants fired indiscriminately. After the attackers fled, the train moved back to Badduwal station, where the rescue team arrived with doctors. Local villagers helped the survivors with food, water, medicine, and mental support.[3]
The attacks came less than five hours after polling closed in a national election already marred by violence and interrupted by the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi around a month prior.[3]
Later that year, in December 1991, militants killed 49 more passengers, mostly Hindus, travelling on train from Ludhiana to Ferozepur.[4]
References
- "Sikhs attack India trains, killing 126". Chicago Sun-Times. 17 June 1991. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- "110 in two trains gunned down by Punjab militants". The Indian Express. 16 June 1991. p. 1. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- Crossette, Barbara (16 June 1991). "Extremists in India Kill 80 on 2 Trains As Voting Nears End". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- Gargan, Edward A. (27 December 1991). "49 Slain by Gunmen on Train in India". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
External links
- "74 were killed in Punjab train carnage". The Indian Express. 17 June 1991. p. 5. Retrieved 9 December 2019.