At least 50 people watching the burning of a Ravana effigy from a railway track were mowed down (AFP)

Minutes after the DMU Jalandhar-Amritsar passenger train on Friday crushed around 60 people watching the burning of a Ravana effigy from a railway track, the loco pilot of the train had immediately informed the station master at the next station about the incident, officials said.

A senior railway official said that the loco pilot after sensing that the train crushed a number of people on tracks, he immediately informed the station master at Amritsar station.

The official said that the loco pilot's version would also be recorded to ascertain the cause of the accident.

He said the train movement on the Jalandhar-Amritsar section (including Pathankot) has been suspended following the accident.

At least 50 people watching the burning of a Ravana effigy from a railway track were mowed down by a speeding train.

A large number of around 700 people were watching the huge Ravana effigy in flames amid exploding crackers while on the tracks at Joda Phatak near Dhobi Ghat within the city when the train going to Amritsar from Jalandhar came hurtling down around 7 p.m.

It took just about 10-15 seconds for the train to pass -- and leave behind a heap of crushed and dismembered bodies.

Most people reportedly could not hear the hooting of the train due to the exploding crackers.

Video clips posted on the social media showed some people who had apparently seen the approaching train trying to run away from the site. A few of them were also mowed down.