Four months after Odisha train tragedy, 28 unclaimed bodies to be mass cremated

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has said that 28 unclaimed bodies lying in superfrozen containers of AIIMS Bhubaneswar would be mass cremated over the next couple of days

More than four months after the train tragedy involving two express trains and goods train near Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha’s Balasore district killed 296 passengers and left over 1,100 injured, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation on Sunday said 28 unclaimed bodies lying in superfrozen containers of AIIMS Bhubaneswar would be mass cremated in Bhubaneswar over the next couple of days.

In what was India’s worst rail accident in three decades, 296 passengers were killed and over 1,100 were injured in the triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district on June 2. (File Photo/PTI)

On the evening of June 2, the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary freight train at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, some of its derailed coaches then colliding with the onrushing Howrah-bound Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express, in what was India’s worst rail accident in three decades.

Of the 296 killed, 162 bodies were kept at AIIMS Bhubaneswar morgue of which 81 bodies were handed over to the near and dear of the deceased after their identification. From the remaining 81, the AIIMS authorities handed over 53 bodies after DNA matching while 28 bodies found no takers. As most of the unclaimed bodies are of migrant labourers from the remote areas of northern West Bengal bordering Bangladesh and they had come alone in search of work, it was unlikely that there would be any claimant for the bodies. Though the unclaimed bodies were due for disposal within 30 days as per police manual, the delay happened due to ongoing CBI investigation.

“The CBI recently wrote to Khurda district collector to go ahead with the cremation of the unidentified bodies following which we were asked to be in readiness. A CBI team is likely to be present during the exercise of bringing the bodies from AIIMS to the crematorium. We are not sure when they will come,” said BMC commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange.

Kulange said his officials would decide on Monday morning as to whether to start the cremation from Monday or Tuesday.

The BMC has decided to provide two to three dead body carriers for the smooth transportation of bodies from AIIMS to the cremation ground. AIIMS authorities would hand over the bodies to the BMC health officer following the existing rules and guidelines of the state, Centre, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for cremation of the bodies. The entire process from receiving the bodies to cremation will be videographed.

An inquiry by the Railway Safety Commissioner found a hurried maintenance operation as the main reason of accident as it interfered with the line’s electronic interlocking system setting the Coromondel Express on the path of the stationary goods train. The CBI, which probed the case, has arrested and charge-sheeted three railway officials including a senior section engineer for the tragedy.