Three months on, 28 bodies from Balasore train accident still unidentified

Balasore (Odisha) [India]: A total of 28 bodies from the triple train crash that took place in Odisha’s Balasore in June this year, are still unidentified with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar authorities waiting for directions from the Railway Ministry on the same, officials at the hospital said.

These 28 bodies are still kept in preservation at the national institute, they said.

“At present, we have 28 bodies left with us. We are waiting for direction from the Railway Ministry, in coordination with the State Government,” AIIMS Bhubaneswar Medical Superintendent, Dillip Kumar Parida, said while speaking to media.

Parida further said that no claimant has come to the hospital for the bodies in the last 10 days and no further samples were sent for DNA testing.

Speaking on the way ahead with the bodies, the Hospital’s superintendent said, “We are just the custodians, we have preserved and kept the bodies and we will just hand over the bodies to CBI for further proceedings.”

“The bodies have to be disposed of finally in whatever way the government decides. We do not have any control over that,” Parida added.

He said that there is no timeline yet on the procedure to be followed with the bodies, however, he added, “I think authorities (railways) have reached the deadline, so instruction may come anytime.”

The triple train accident on June 2 involving the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, the Howrah-bound Shalimar Express and a goods train led to 295 passengers losing their lives while 176 sustained grievous injuries, 451 suffered simple injuries and 180 received First Aid Treatment.