Odisha Train Tragedy: 29 Corpses Still Lie Unidentified With Govt

The unidentified bodies are still being preserved in containers at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.

As many as 293 people were killed and over 1,200 injured in the triple train collision.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Two months after the tragic triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district, 29 bodies of the victims recovered from the accident site are yet to be identified, reported news agency PTI.

As many as 293 people were killed and over 1,200 injured in the triple train collision near Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore district on June 2.

The unidentified bodies are still being preserved in containers at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.

Speaking to PTI, Dillip Kumar Parida, superintendent of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar said, "29 bodies remain and as the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CSFL) have put the last lot of samples for matching. We are still hopeful that we’ll get some positive reports within this week.”

VIDEO | “29 bodies remain and as the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CSFL) have put the last lot of samples for matching. We are still hopeful that we’ll get some positive reports within this week,” says AIIMS Bhubaneswar Superintendent Dilip Kumar Parida on unclaimed bodies… pic.twitter.com/PdweOfmDiR

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 1, 2023

He said that All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar had received a total of 162 dead bodies in two phases, of which 133 bodies have been handed over to their relatives and family members, reported IANS.

Out of the total 81 unidentified bodies received by the national institute, 52 bodies have been dispatched to their families, he added.

"Due to multiple claimants and few other issues, 103 DNA samples of bodies and claimants were sent to New Delhi for matching. After DNA sample matching, the bodies have been headed over to the concerned family members with the help of railways," IANS quoted Parida as saying.

The last phase of DNA sampling reports are likely to come up in a week, he added.

He further stated that the central government and the Odisha government will decide what to do with the bodies, which will remain unclaimed after the last phase DNA report.

The accident took place when the Howrah-bound Coromandel Express hit a stationary freight train, jumped off the tracks, and hit another passenger train coming from the opposite direction.

A few coaches of Coromandel Express toppled over the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express which was passing by at the same time.