'Handed over charge 3 hrs before accident'

KOLKATA: The loco pilot of the ill-fated Coromandel Express Ranajit Kumar Mondal who handed over the charge in Kharagpur around 5pm on Friday could barely speak about probable causes of the accident on Saturday.
Mondal during his return trip as loco pilot of Rani Shiromoni Express, reached the Howrah station at 10.43am on Saturday. "I couldn't believe my eyes after I saw the locomotive jump over a goods train on TV less than three hours after I handed over charge," he said. Mondal handed over to loco pilot GN Mohanty and assistant loco pilot Hajari Behera. He said he didn't notice any operational glitches.
The accident took place around 7:30 PM on Friday at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata. Talking to TOI, Mondal expressed his concern about Mohanty and Behera's health as both were admitted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar. While Mohanty was seriously injured, Behera sustained multiple injuries too, sources said.