The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended to the Odisha government ensuring availability of DNA profiling facilities in different hospitals and the proper preservation system of human bodies.

The rights body made these recommendations in view of the cremation of several unidentified and unclaimed bodies in the aftermath of the horrific Balasore rail crash in June last year.

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The Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, Howrah-bound SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express, and a goods train were involved in a deadly pileup near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in the Balasore district on 2 June killing at least 297 people and leaving over 1,000 injured.

The top rights panel, disposing of a petition by civil rights lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy, observed that the emergency preparedness of the state is lagging behind as it is observed from the present and other situations, NHRC noted in the order.

“It is pertinent to observe here that there are some contradictions in the report dated 19 April 2024 of the Special Secretary (Health), Government of Odisha and Railways. Qua the number of deaths is mentioned as 288, whereas in the reports received from Railways, 297 passengers stated to have died in the tragic accident.”

The Railways informed the rights panel that a total of 297 passengers died in the tragic train accident on 27 March 2024. An amount of Rs. 26.9 crore has been paid as ex gratia to the next of kin of the 269 identified deceased passengers (as on 27.03.2024). Payment is pending for want of legal documents of next of kin. Further, 27 unidentified bodies have been cremated.

The Commission also recommended the Chairman of the Railway Board and Odisha Chief Secretary properly coordination to identify the remaining unidentified persons and take effective steps for proper compensation to the family members of the deceased in a time-bound manner.

The use of modern technology like DNA fingerprinting should be done. Further steps may be taken for enhancing the safety and security measures, with respect to the railway movements, to avoid any such unfortunate incidents in future, the NHRC observed in its latest order.

Both the Railway Board and Chief Secretary of Odisha Government shall appoint some senior officer as nodal officer to tackle such complaints/claims and coordinate among the two governments/bodies, the NHRC added.

The petitioner requested the NHRC for preventive, compensatory, and rehabilitating action with some permanent solution to prevent such incidents.

The Ministry of Railways, on a query regarding identification of all the passengers whether reserved or unreserved or general compartments,replied that for booking unreserved tickets, UTS on Mobile app has been introduced in which details of the person who has purchased the ticket are captured. Booking through this mode is gradually picking up, which will serve the intended purpose.

The Railways, replying to another query, stated that a total of 154 bags were recovered from the accident site and after inventory preparation these recovered luggage were handed over to the Balasore railway police which were further handed over to next of kin of the victim of the accident. The remaining unclaimed bags are in custody of the government railway police station in Balasore.