Balasore train accident: All 28 unclaimed bodies cremated by BMC

Bhubaneswar: The cremation of 28 unclaimed bodies of people who died in the triple train accident in Odisha's Balasore district four months ago, was completed on Wednesday by women volunteers at Bhubaneswar.

The process of cremation began on Tuesday evening and was completed at about 8 am on Wednesday, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Sulochana Das said.

She said women volunteers actively participated in the funeral.

"Women volunteers disregarding social stigma came forward and lit funeral pyres. The identities of these bodies were not known,” the Mayor said.

The bodies had been kept in refrigerated containers for over four months, she said, adding that all the bodies were cremated at the Bharatpur crematorium by the BMC.

Madhusmita Prusty (37), Smita Mohanty (53) and Swagatika Rao (34) cremated the first three bodies.

"We came forward on our own to do this sacred ritual for the unidentified bodies. They might be our relation in some previous lives," Prusty said.

Rao said that the bodies were beyond recognition and one cannot identify whether they were males or females.

"They were all human beings and their last rites are done with dignity," she said.

An NGO was engaged to light the funeral pyre and collect the bone pieces for immersion in water bodies, according to ritual.

The unidentified bodies were kept in AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a container after the triple train accident on June 2 at Baganaga Bazaar in Balasore district. The hospital authorities handed over the bodies to BMC 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 sample of the bodies was preserved for investigation as well as for legal issues if any.

"Though nobody came to claim the 28 bodies in these 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.

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 CBI, which is investigating the accident, had recently urged the Khurda district administration for the cremation of the bodies. An intimation was then sent to the BMC to prepare a standard operating procedure for the same and also AIIMS, where the bodies were preserved.

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.