Odisha train tragedy: BMC to dispose of 28 unclaimed bodies

Bhubaneswar: Four months after the Balasore triple train accident that claimed 297 lives and left over 900 injured, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities have initiated the process of disposing of 28 unidentified bodies.

The bodies were kept in the AIIMS Bhubaneswar since the accident occurred in June.

"We have issued a Standard operating procedure (SOP) for the scientific disposal of the unclaimed bodies of those who were killed in the triple train accident. The bodies will be handed over to the corporation in the presence of CBI officials and we are planning for the cremation on Tuesday," BMC Mayor Sulochana Das told reporters.

According to sources, the BMC initiated the process after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has been probing the train accident, wrote to the Khurda district collector requesting the disposal of the bodies in a scientific manner.

AIIMS Bhubaneswar director will officially hand over the bodies to the BMC health officer following the existing rules and guidelines of the state, the Centre, and the National Human Rights Commission for cremation of the bodies, an official said.

The BMC will make arrangements for smooth transportation of the bodies from AIIMS to the cremation grounds at Satyanagar and Bharatpur in the city, he added.

The entire process will be video-graphed, according to the SOP issued by the BMC.

The AIIMS Bhubaneswar had received 162 bodies and 81 of them were handed over to the family members of the deceased in the first phase. Later, another 53 bodies were given to the family members following DNA tests but the remains of 28 others have been unclaimed, the official said.

The bodies were kept in at least five deep freezer containers procured from the Paradip Port Trust.

The Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Super Fast Express, and a goods train were involved in the accident. The Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train, derailing most of its coaches around 7 p.m. on June 2 near the Bahanaga Bazar station.

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

With inputs from PTI