After an agonising wait for four days, the families of three persons, who perished in the fire on the Tamil Nadu Express, received the mortal remains of their loved ones at last on Thursday when the DNA tests confirmed the identification of the deceased.
Since the tragic mishap occurred on Monday, the bodies of 24 of the 32 passengers who died have been identified and handed over to their families so far. On Thursday the families of Harpreet Singh (24) and Malkith Singh (30) from Punjab, and CISF jawan Baldev Singh (55) from Uttarakhand claimed the charred remains of the deceased.
The families of Harpreet Singh and Malkith Singh have decided to cremate the bodies at Nellore itself as the bodies are not in condition fit for transport to their native places. Officials are making arrangements for the last rites.
According to officials, DNA test was not conducted on four bodies for their identification but denied that it was on account of the bodies having been burnt beyond the point of identification. They said no family had come so far to claim the bodies. Further, it is suspected that the victims were travelling without ticket, making the identification more difficult.
Meanwhile about 10 victims are undergoing treatment at Narayana and Bollineni hospitals here. The condition of Sukdev Singh from Amritsar is said to be critical. The condition of Sambasiva Rao from Vijayawada is also said to be critical and he has been shifted to Chennai for better treatment.