Odisha Train Tragedy: 101 bodies still unidentified, 55 handed over to relatives

In the aftermath of the tragic train accident (/topic/train-accident) in Odisha, which resulted in the loss of at least 275 lives and left over 1000 individuals injured, officials on Monday said that there are still 101 bodies yet to be identified.

Talking to ANI, Divisional Railway Manager of the Eastern Central Railways Rinkesh Roy said that around 200 people are still being treated in various hospitals in Odisha.

“About 1,100 people were injured in the accident, out of which about 900 people were discharged after treatment. Around 200 people are being treated in various hospitals in the state. Out of 278 people who died in the accident, 101 bodies are yet to be identified,” Roy told ANI.

The devastating collision, involving two passenger trains and a freight train, took the lives of at least 275 people and caused injuries to over 1100 others in Balasore. This tragic incident has had a profound impact across India.

Vijay Amrit Kulange, Commissioner, of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation told ANI, “Of the total 193 bodies kept in Bhubaneswar, 80 bodies have been identified. 55 bodies have been handed over to the relatives. More than 200 calls have been received on BMC’s helpline number 1929. The dead bodies are being identified and handed over to the relatives.”

The accident occurred when the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express collided with a stationary freight train, causing several coaches to derail onto the adjacent track. Subsequently, the Howrah Express, traveling from Yesvantpur to Howrah, collided with the affected carriages at high speed, resulting in further derailment.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the Balasore accident site from ground zero and also visited the injured being treated at the hospital.

Before leaving Delhi for the mishap site, PM Modi had also chaired a high-level review meeting on the same.