Months after Balasore Train Tragedy, 28 bodies still remain unidentified
Despite three months having passed since the Balasore Train Tragedy, the bodies of 28 passengers remain unidentified.
Bhubaneswar: Despite three months having passed since the tragic triple train disaster near Bahanaga Bazar railway station of Balasore district of Odisha, the bodies of 28 passengers remain unclaimed and unidentified, as confirmed by an official statement.
The bodies have been preserved in special freezers at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, and can be stored for an extended period, according to Dilip Parida, the medical superintendent of the hospital.
“We believe that no further claimants will come forward, as no one has arrived in the last 10 days,” Parida stated.
The official further added that the bodies will be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after receiving instructions from higher authorities, as the agency has taken over the case.
AIIMS, Bhubaneswar received a total of 162 bodies in two phases. Of these, 28 bodies have remained unidentified, as no claimants have come forward.
“We handed over the bodies to the claimants after cross-matching DNA at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Delhi. Currently, 28 bodies remain with us, and we await guidance from the railway ministry on the further handling of these unclaimed bodies,” Parida explained. Over 100 DNA samples were sent for genetic testing to identify the victims during this period.
The tragic train incident involved the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, a stationary goods train, and the Yesvantpur-Howrah Express near Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha’s Balasore district. It occurred on June 2, 2023, resulting in the loss of at least 295 lives and leaving over 1,200 individuals injured, making it one of the country’s worst rail mishaps.
Ms Kalinga