RAYAGADA: Heartrending scenes unfolded at the District Headquarters Hospital here on Monday as members of the Bihari family reached here to cremate their kin, who died in the Hirakhand Express accident near Kuneru in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday midnight. The accident claimed 40 lives and left more than 69 injured.
Sources said, 20 members of a Bihari family had boarded the ill-fated train at Bhawanipatna station and were heading to Vijayanagaram for honey collection. They were all honey collectors and used to eke out a living by collecting honey in different states.
The deceased are Sahir Dhamin (15), Karina Devi (16), Thellu (8), Ranjaneya Devi (20), Chinnu (14), Biswanath Dhamin (20) and Kuladevi Dhamin (60).
Their relatives, Birju and Krishna performed the last rites at Siriguda crematory of Rayagada town in the presence of Additional Tehsildar Debasis Kar. They had reportedly requested the administration to allow cremation in Rayagada as they were poor and could not afford the cost of shifting the bodies to their native place.
Meanwhile, Rayagada IIC Rabindra Patra said all the bodies have been identified and handed over to their kin.
Of the 40 deceased, 34 including the Bihari family belong to Odisha. The rest six are from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. On Monday, the 40th body which was untraceable has been found and identified as that of S Trinath (22) of Antamadha, a place near Rayagada town. His father, who had been searching for Trinath in different hospitals, identified it as that of his son from the shoes as the torso got separated and could not be located. Police said, the bottom part of the body has been preserved for DNA test.
Two of the injured have been referred to Visakhapatnam from Rayagada DHH as their condition deteriorated. They are Subhasini Deep and Chotu Dhamin. Eight injured are still in DHH. Meanwhile, the tracks were cleared and trains started their journey from Monday morning.