Odisha Train Tragedy: State Reverts To 288 As Final Fatality Figure
Odisha Chief Secretary said that the death toll in the Balasore tragedy has been confirmed at 288 after reconciling hospital, mortuary, and district collector reports. 205 bodies transferred so far.
Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena on Tuesday (June 6) said that the collector of Balasore has confirmed the final figure of death as 288 after the reconciliation of district hospitals, mortuaries, and reports from collectors of different districts. Over 205 bodies have been transferred as of now. Out of the total 288 bodies, 95 were transferred at the district level, while 193 were brought to Bhubaneswar. Among those brought to Bhubaneswar, 110 have been identified, leaving 83 bodies yet to be identified, the official said.
READ | Odisha Train Accident: 40 Passengers Believed To Have Died Due To Electrocution
Following the tragic triple train crash in Balasore, numerous unidentified bodies accumulated in hospitals across Bhubaneswar. In response, AIIMS Bhubaneswar initiated DNA sampling for claimants, with 10 samples collected thus far, according to officials cited by news agency PTI.
Dr Pravas Tripathy, Deputy Superintendent of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, explained that bodies were being released after thorough investigations. Due to multiple families claiming a single body, DNA sampling is underway. He mentioned that it might take 7 to 10 days to receive the DNA sampling reports, the PTI report said.
Regarding body preservation, Dr Tripathy stated that as the bodies are now stored in containers, there should be no issues.
According to the report, the victims primarily hailed from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha.
READ | Odisha Train Accident: CBI Takes Over Probe Into Balasore Tragedy
In the aftermath of the Balasore triple train crash that claimed 288 lives, three agencies, namely the CBI, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), and Government Railway Police of Balasore, have commenced an investigation.
Simultaneously, Rinkesh Roy, the Khurda Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), expressed suspicion of external interference with the equipment, as per the report. This alleged tampering may have caused the Coromandel Express to enter the loop line and collide with the iron-laden goods train on June 2.
A devastating three-train crash occurred at 7 pm on June 2, when the Coromandel Express collided with a stationary goods train, resulting in the derailment of several coaches. During the incident, a few coaches of the Coromandel Express toppled over the rear coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express, which happened to be passing by simultaneously.
Investigations are underway to determine the factors contributing to the crash, including potential human error, signal failure, and other possible causes.
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