Odisha Train Tragedy: Bhubaneswar Civic Body Cremates 28 Unclaimed Bodies Of Victims

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation completed the process of cremation of 28 unclaimed bodies of people who were killed in the triple train accident in Odisha's Balasore district.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation completed the process of cremation of 28 unclaimed bodies of people who were killed in the triple train accident in Odisha's Balasore district.

Source : PTI

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation on Wednesday completed the process of cremation of 28 unclaimed bodies of people who were killed in the triple train accident in Odisha's Balasore district four months ago. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Mayor Sulochana Das said that the process of cremation of unidentified bodies of the train accident which began on Tuesday evening was completed at about 8 am on Wednesday, as reported by the news agency PTI. 

Das said women volunteers actively participated in the funeral. "Women volunteers notwithstanding any stigma came forward and lit funeral pyres of the bodies. They even do not know the religion of the deceased persons or whether the bodies were males or females," the Mayor said, as quoted by PTI.

The bodies had turned ice in the container where they were preserved for above four months, Das said. She added that all the bodies were cremated at the Bharatpur crematorium by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.

The first three bodies were cremated by Madhusmita Prusty (37), Smita Mohanty (53) and Swagatika Rao (34), as per PTI. They said, "We came forward on our own to do this sacred ritual for the unidentified bodies. They might be our relation in some previous lives".

Last Rites Done With Dignity, Says Swagatika Rao

Rao said that the bodies were beyond recognition and one cannot identify whether they were males or females. "Above all, they were human beings and their last rites are done with dignity," she said, as quoted by PTI. An NGO was engaged to conduct the 'Mukhagni' (lighting the funeral pyre) and collect the bone pieces for immersion in water bodies.

The unidentified bodies were kept in AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a container after the train accident on June 2. The AIIMS Bhubaneswar authorities handed over the bodies to the civic body in the presence of officials of the CBI, which is probing the train tragedy which claimed 297 lives.

"All the unclaimed bodies have been cremated according to the state government, central government and NHRC guidelines," a senior BMC official said, adding that the entire process of handing over bodies to the funeral has been videographed.

The official said that the DNA of the bodies was preserved for investigation as well as for legal issues if any. "Though nobody came to claim the 28 bodies in the four months, anyone may make any claim later. Therefore, keeping in view the legal issues, we have preserved the DNA," said Prof Pravas Tripathy, head of the Anatomy department of AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Is Final Disposing Authority: AIIMS

Speaking about the unclaimed bodies of victims handed over to Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, AIIMS Bhubaneswar Medical Superintendent Dilip Parida said, "Finally, we have come to the logical conclusion and in the process, so many agencies were involved from central ministries to state government...Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the final disposing authority. Whatever approval and permissions we had sought have come. Now we are handing over the bodies to the health officer BMC...A total of 28 bodies are left with us and BMC has started taking out the bodies".

#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha: On unclaimed bodies of Balasore Train Tragedy victims handed over to Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), AIIMS Bhubaneswar Medical Superintendent Dilip Parida says, "Finally, we have come to the logical conclusion and in the process, so many… pic.twitter.com/3VqVGjK84a

— ANI (@ANI) October 10, 2023

The AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a release said the hospital had received 123 bodies on the night of June 4 and another 39 from Capital Hospital and other private health facilities. Among them, 81 bodies were identified by the relatives. The identity of another 53 was confirmed by DNA profiling and handed over to the families. "The remaining 28 bodies were handed over to BMC for final cremation on October 10," AIIMS Bhubaneswar said.

The Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Super Fast Express and a goods train were involved in the accident on June 2 near the Bahanaga Bazar station.