Hyderabad: The Balasore train tragedy that killed 288 people and opened 'faultlines' in the Railway management system in the country also exposed another unpleasant truth.
The 'Rest in Peace' expression for the dear departed has lost its meaning as 81 'faceless' bodies which are yet to be identified are put in the deep freezer, denying them the right to find a proper resting place after their death. On being asked about the fate of those bodies, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange said 193 bodies had seen sent to AIIMS and other hospitals, 112 bodies were handed over to family members and relatives but 81 bodies are yet to be identified.
"We have kept those bodies in deep freezer container as we are yet to find takers for these dead people," Kulange said. He also said his department is coordinating with other state government officials to verify the claimants and speed up the identification process. Kulange also said that the BMC is coordinating between Railways and AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Odisha government on Thursday held discussions with the officials from West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand seeking help in early identification and disposal of the human remains preserved here.
The train tragedy has set off a slugfest between the BJP-led Centre and the opposition parties which questioned the efficacy of the safety mechanism of trains in the country. Under fire, the Railway Board on Saturday ordered a double locking system for all signaling assets and protocols to start sounding trains after maintenance work. Senior officials of the railways said there was enough evidence to substantiate that the interlocking system had been tampered with. So, the technique has now been made 'tamper-proof', officials added. "This double locking mechanism will ensure that no one has access to these locations without permission," an official said.
Also read: Odisha triple train accident: CBI detains 3 railway employees for questioning
