With four bodies being washed ashore, the toll after Prathibha Cauvery ran aground off Chennai’s coast has touched five, on Friday.
Police said four bodies that were washed ashore at different points along the shoreline were brought to nearby morgues, where they were preserved for the identification process.
Initially, all five families did not claim the body that was washed ashore near Napier Bridge and kept in the morgue near Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, as it had decomposed beyond recognition.
The body of Khanitker Raj (22) of Mumbai, was later identified by his parents with the help of dental anomalies that the youth had. In a similar manner, Niranjan’s father, from Arakkonam, identified his son’s body. Niranjan’s body that washed ashore near Ezhilagam, was sent to the morgue in Royapettah. Another body that was washed ashore near Harbour was sent to the Stanley Medical College Hospital morgue. The body was identified to be that of Jadhav Rushab (24). Meanwhile, another body, washed ashore near Minjur, will be brought to a morgue in Chennai on Saturday morning for identification.
Mylapore-Triplicane Tahsildar Gulam Jeelani Baba handed over compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh each to all three of the bereaved families. While Raj’s body will be flown to Mumbai on Saturday, bodies of Jadhav and Niranjan were taken to their hometowns by road.