Odisha train tragedy: AIIMS Bhubaneswar procures five deep freezer containers to preserve bodies
Bhubaneswar: Facing an uphill task of preserving the bodies of those killed in the Balasore train accident, AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has procured at least five deep freezer containers from Paradip Port to prevent further decay of the mortal remains of the deceased.
The medical establishment has received 123 of the 197 bodies brought to Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
“It was very difficult to store such a large number of bodies with care, identify those and dispatch the bodies to their families after all due formalities,” AIIMS Executive Director Dr Ashutosh Biswas said.
He said, nevertheless, the bodies have been stored at the Forensic and Anatomy Department with care at present and 60 bodies have already been dispatched to their relatives after identification and the process for the remaining is underway.
“By the time AIIMS received the bodies, 30 hours had already passed. Our prime objective was to prevent further decay of the bodies. The bodies were kept in cold storage and embalming was done on a war footing.
“But five containers were procured from Paradip Port as already three days have passed since the triple train accident took place. The bodies will soon be shifted to these containers. Each container can store 30-40 bodies,” he said.
Such containers are used to ship fish, meat or other perishable goods.
Experts from AIIMS New Delhi, Nagpur and Raipur, besides RML and Lady Hardinge Medical College, have joined hands to preserve the bodies, Dr Biswas added.
Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that more than 1,000 were injured in a Balasore train accident, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said. Mandaviya arrived after reviewing the situation and holding a detailed discussion at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar and a team of expert doctors from Delhi AIIMS, Lady Harding and RML hospital arrived in an Airforce Special plane with equipment and medicines.
