Even as rescue and relief operations were launched on a war-footing by the East Coast Railway (ECoR) authorities following derailment of Bhubaneswar-bound Hirakhand Express originating from Jagdalpur at Kuneru in Vizianagaram district, the railway officials are making frantic efforts to identify the deceased passengers.
It has become a Herculean task for them in establishing identity of some of the passengers as they have either not provided their contact numbers in the reservation slip or travelled in unreserved coach. The impact of the accident was such that some of them were crushed to death beyond recognition.
“Yes, establishing the identity of the victims has become very difficult. However, we are collecting information through Helpline numbers and other modes on missing passengers,” a railway official told The Hindu .
One of the victims, Bedudhar Bovi was identified based on information received from his family on phone.
In the list released by the railways, 13 were yet to be identified. “We are trying to establish their identity at the earliest,” the official said. The bodies which were identified were being handed over to their relatives.
Those who were identified included M. Krishna, 35, P. Srinu, 25, B. Kamala, 50, Gayatri Sahu, 14, Dilip Kumar Routh, 51, T.K. Mainj, 45, Somu Annamma, Vishnu Prasad Sahu, Rajan Nayak, 18, Subash Ch. Sahu, 60, S. Renuka, P. Poli, 35, Jasodha Pandit, Ram Prasad Pandit, K. Revathi, 16, Mondal Balram, Subabrata Sahu, Tapan Kumar Pradhan, Kartik Sahu, 21, Radha, 8, Poolan Devi, K. Ravikumar, 20, Bedudhar Boyi.
