In Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 28 unidentified bodies from the triple train accident that occurred four months ago in Balasore district have been cremated. The process began on Tuesday evening and concluded at around 8 am on Wednesday. Women volunteers took an active role in the funeral proceedings, disregarding social stigma. These bodies had been stored in refrigerated containers for over four months and were cremated at the Bharatpur crematorium by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The first three bodies were cremated by Madhusmita Prusty, Smita Mohanty, and Swagatika Rao, who voluntarily performed the sacred ritual for the unidentified bodies. They stated that the bodies were beyond recognition, making it impossible to determine their gender, but they believed in conducting their last rites with dignity. An NGO was engaged to light the funeral pyre and collect bone fragments for immersion in water bodies as part of the ritual.
The unclaimed bodies were stored at AIIMS Bhubaneswar following the triple train accident in Balasore district on June 2. The CBI is investigating the incident, which claimed 297 lives. The BMC has followed state and central government guidelines as well as NHRC guidelines for the cremation of these bodies, preserving their DNA samples for potential future claims.
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