KENDRAPARA: Twenty-eight days after she died in a tragic bus fire mishap, the body of a 35-year-old woman was identified through a DNA test and handed over to her family on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Puspanjali Das of Niladripur village under Mahakalapada block of Kendrapara. On November 10, Das was returning to her village on a Paradip-bound bus from Kolkata along with her husband and son when the vehicle got engulfed in flames near Kharagpur. Das was burnt alive.
Since the body was charred beyond recognition, the district administration of Paschim Medinipur conducted DNA and other forensic tests to ascertain its identity by collecting samples from the mortal remains.
All this while, Puspanjali’s husband and other family members were in a state of despair and confusion. “My wife sacrificed her life in a bid to save our son and my life as she allowed us to escape through the window. However, we couldn’t save her. We are devastated by her demise,” said an aggrieved Rajendra Das, Pushpanjali’s husband.