Amritsar Train Tragedy: Eyewitnesses Rubbish Train Driver’s Claims, Say He Did Not Even Slow Down
After the tragic incident, when the driver was interrogated, he said that he applied "emergency brakes" as he saw the crowd on the tracks but "still some people were caught in the path of the train".
Chandigarh, October 22: Days after 59 people were killed in the tragic train incident in Amritsar, locals came out hard against the train driver's statement who said Dussehra revellers had pelted stones at the train. The driver had mowed down 59 people watching a Ravan effigy being burnt on October 19 at a ground adjacent to the tracks. On Sunday, one person was held and around 40 other unidentified people, were booked for clashing with security forces and pelting them with stones at the train accident site. Police said that a case was registered under relevant sections, including 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC against the protesters.
After the tragic incident, when the driver was interrogated, he said that he applied "emergency brakes" as he saw the crowd on the tracks but "still some people were caught in the path of the train". He also said that he continuously honked to get people off the tracks. The driver further added saying that he had not stopped his train because of stone pelting from the crowd at the accident spot. Train Driver Detained For Questioning, Says Not His Fault as 'Green Signal Was Given'.
The locals and onlookers rubbished the driver's claims and said the train did not slow down anywhere near the spot. Shailender Singh Shally, Councillor, Ward Number 46, Amritsar was quoted by PTI saying that the driver has lied in his statements and the train did not even slow down at the time of the incident. Amritsar Train Accident: Indian Railways Cancels 37 Trains, Diverts 16; View Complete List.
"I was at the spot. Leave alone stopping, the train did not even slow down. It seemed as if the driver wanted to mow us down. The train passed us in a matter of seconds. "Is it logically possible for us to pelt stones at the train when so many people were dead and injured around us? Is it possible for us to get our bearings after such an incident and pelt stones at a speeding train? The driver is lying," Shally added.
The incident took place last week, where a crowd of Dussehra revellers had spilled onto railway tracks near Joda Phatak when watching the burning of a Ravana effigy and some of them were run over by a train.
Officials informed that the maximum speed of the train, which was a Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit (DEMU) is 96 kmph, once brakes are applied, this kind of train stops completely in about 300 metres if empty, and in 600 metres if full. The official further informed that the last recorded speed of the train, according to Divisional Railway Manager (Ferozpur) Vivek Kumar, was 68kmph.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2018 01:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).