A train crashed into revellers gathered to watch Dussehra in Amritsar, killing 59 people. (EXPRESS PHOTO BY RANA SIMRANJIT SINGH)

The locopilot of 13006 Amritsar-Howrah train, which had crossed the mishap spot near gate no. C-27 (Jaura phatak) in Amritsar moments before DMU-74643 Jalandhar-Amritsar train coming from opposite direction mowed down 61 persons on Friday evening.

In his statement to the northern railways, he said that he had seen a “heavy crowd on the track short of Gate no. C-27” and he thus drove the train at a “controlled speed” and “moved with caution after ensuring the track was clear of the crowd”.

In his statement (accessed by The Indian Express), locopilot Jagveer Singh said, “On October 19, I departed from Amritsar railway station at about 6.40 pm with a speed of 10 km per hour. As I began to increase the train’s speed, I witnessed a huge gathering of people on the track near Crossing no 27 [Jaura phatak].

Constantly blowing the train’s whistle, controlling my speed and ensuring the track was clear, I proceeded. At kms 507/28, I did the brake-power test. At around 6.52 pm, I took the ‘all right’ signal from the DMU that was coming from opposite direction and proceeded without any obstacle. I crossed the Manawala station at 6.58 pm and reached Ludhiana railway station at 9.12 pm. I reached my destination safely at platform no 1 and there was no loss of property or life from my train.”

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Pannalal, guard of the same 13006 Amritsar-Howrah train, in his written statement, said that the train left at the scheduled time of departure from Amritsar station and reached Ludhiana “without any obstacle”. He also stated that “no accident took place with 13006 Amritsar-Howrah train”.