BHUBANESWAR: Three days after the triple train tragedy, around 100 bodies are yet to be identified.
These bodies have been kept in the morgues of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Capital Hospital and four private hospitals here.Also See: Odisha Train Accident Live Chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena on Monday said the state government has confirmed 275 deaths.
By 2 pm on Sunday, 180 bodies were handed over to the next of kin of the deceased.
We have handed over 85 bodies in Balasore and 95 in Bhubaneswar.
The body identification process is underway, he added.
He said the state government will bear the expenses of transporting bodies from the mortuaries in Bhubaneswar to their native places.Our officers are coordinating everything from identifying the bodies to handing it over at their homes, he added.
Jena said the government will provide the death certificates to the next of kin of the deceased electronically and physical copies through speed post.
They need not worry for these documents.
We will facilitate the process within the shortest period of time, he added.
He said the relatives can call via the helpline numbers and the government officials will guide them how to reach here.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar has received 123 bodies from Balasore.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar executive director Ashutosh Biswas said the hospital has already handed over 43 bodies to their relatives.
Now we have 80 bodies in our mortuaries.
The identification process is on.
We have asked for five containers from Paradip Port to keep the bodies safely inside the containers with modern preservation facilities.
One container can accommodate 30 to 40 bodies.
Besides, we have deep freezers, he added.
He said experts have come from AIIMS Delhi and Raipur AIIMS and other places to embalm the bodies.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar has installed big screens to show photographs of the bodies for identification.If anybodys photo matches, the relative can go to the mortuary for confirmation.
Meanhile, relatives are crestfallen over the unending search.
Basudev Roy from West Bengals West Dinajpur district, has been searching for his brother and brother-inlaw (sisters husband), who were travelling in Coromandel Express, since Saturday morning but in vain.
Seven others are accompanying him.
Five people are in Balasore and they have visited almost all government hospitals and morgues, but could not get the whereabouts of the duo.
We three came to Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, said Basudev.
The duo, Chandan Roy and Ritam, would have gone to Kerala after arriving in Chennai.
They were inside the general coach of Coromandel Express.04:04Odisha Train Tragedy: 101 Bodies still unidentified, Railway DRM tells the embalming process of mortal remains of victimsWe are poor people and dont have the money to continue the search.
I request the railways and government to help us locate them.
We are helpless, said Basudev, breaking down.
Similarly, two brothers, Gopal Manna and Nimai Manna, have been searching for their brother Samir Manna (32) from East Medinipur in West Bengal.
After visiting hospitals in Balasore, they arrived in AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday.
Samir was working as a pantry boy in the Coromandel Express since the last two years.
Ramamani Bera from Remuna in Balasore district has been looking for her husband, Kartika Bera (37) since Friday night.
He was coming to Balasore from Vijayawada in the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express.
We are frustrated after searching for the body at several places, said Ramamani, who has a little daughter.