It was clarified that the odor was due to rotten eggs being transported on the train, dispelling speculations about unattended bodies and providing relief to the community.
Amid concerns raised by locals near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha, where the tragic triple train accident claimed 288 lives on June 2, railway officials have clarified that the foul smell emanating from a coach was due to rotten eggs and not human bodies, putting to rest any lingering fears of unattended casualties.
Residents living near the crash site had reported the foul odor and speculated that some bodies might still be inside the coach. Responding to the complaint, the railway authorities, in collaboration with the state government, conducted a thorough search of the area. "It was found that rotten eggs, and not human bodies, are emitting a foul smell in the station. We had obtained clearance from NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) twice," clarified South Eastern Railway CPRO Aditya Kumar Chaudhary during a press briefing.
The investigation revealed that the Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express was transporting approximately three tons of eggs in the parcel van at the time of the accident. Due to the impact and subsequent delay in recovery operations, the eggs had started to rot, causing the unpleasant smell. Chaudhary confirmed that all the eggs have now been removed from the accident site using three tractors.
Meanwhile, addressing the compensation issue, the CPRO informed that the railway ministry has already disbursed a total of Rs 22.66 crore as compensation to the families of 661 victims affected by the train tragedy. The compensation has been provided to the next of kin of the deceased as well as to those who suffered severe injuries in the accident. Each family that lost a loved one in the tragedy has received Rs 10 lakh. It is estimated that around 1,200 individuals sustained injuries during the incident.
(With PTI Inputs)