Bhubaneswar, Jul 19 (IANS): The alertness of the loco pilot helped to avert another passenger train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district, officials said on Wednesday.

According to sources, a Memu train, to Balasore from Bhadrak, mistakenly entered a loop line track near Nilagiri railway station on Tuesday, where maintenance work was underway.

Fortunately, the loco pilot detected an anomaly and promptly applied the brakes, preventing a certain accident.

This incident was reported just around 15 km away from the Bahanaga Bazar station, where a triple train tragedy occurred on June 2 evening, leaving at least 293 people dead.

Talking to media persons, the loco pilot of the Memu train said: “The train was moving at a speed of 7 to 8 kmph and the track was not properly set in. There was no chance of any derailment of the train but tracks would have been damaged and the point could have busted.”

After stopping at the site for nearly one hour, the train resumed its journey towards Balasore.

The pointsman and station master of Nilagiri railway station has been put under suspension, a senior railway official said.