29 DNA samples of kin match with Odisha railway accident victims; five bodies handed over

After waiting close to a month following the June 2 train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district that left 293 people dead, five families were finally handed over bodies of their loved ones on Friday.

After waiting close to a month following the June 2 train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district that left 293 people dead, five families were finally handed over bodies of their loved ones on Friday.

This was possible after 29 out of the 85 DNA samples drawn from relatives matched with that of the victims’ bodies preserved at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhubaneswar.

Railway sources said transport arrangements were being made to send the bodies to their native places. A total of 81 bodies were preserved at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, however, 85 claimants gave DNA samples to establish the identity.

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The accident involving three trains – 12824 Coromandel Express, 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train – was so severe that many bodies were beyond recognition.

Relatives who rushed from far-off places in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha were asked to identify bodies from photographs. As it led to a chaotic situation, authorities decided to carry out DNA profiling of all bodies.