Tuesday, 23 September 2008

Gautam Express Fire Mishap: DNA tests for identification

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Families of those who perished in the Gautami Express fire tragedy will have to wait at least a week to perform their last rites.
The skeletal remains will be handed over to the kin of the deceased only after skull superimposition and DNA tests.
Forensic experts from APFSL are not hopeful that the tests will be of much help in identifying all the bodies since they were charred beyond recognition. DNA can be extracted only from four or five bodies.
The experts will try to identify the bodies based on belongings such as gold jewellery and other articles.
In all, 29 charred bodies were found in S-10 coach and two persons died in the hospital. Unidentified bodies have been kept at MGM Hospital in Warangal .
Forensic experts have segregated the remains berthwise based on details such as sex, age and berth number in the reservation chart.
Doctors who conducted autopsy on the skeletal remains also segregated them into male and female based on the shape of the pelvis. Out of 18 bodies nine were identified as female, seven as male and two as children.
“DNA fingerprinting tests will take a week,” said Mr O.N. Murthy, director of the AP Forensic Science Laboratory. The Railway Superintendent of Police, Mr A. Ravichandra, said the remains could be handed over to relatives only after identification. “Otherwise it will lead to a controversy,” he said. Two passengers, Ms G Bhagyalaskhmi, 39, and Ms B. Sarita, 28, were identified and their bodies were handed over to relatives after autopsy.
Meanwhile, the SCR paid an initial ex gratia of Rs 15,000 to relatives of the deceased who have been identified, Rs 5,000 to the grievously injured and Rs 500 to those with simple injuries. Kazipet Railway Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr K Krishna Prasad is the officer in charge of identification and disposal of the bodies. He can be reached at 9440627512 and Inspector Shravan Kumar at 9440627517. Compensation will be made available through railway claims tribunal and special cell which monitors this can be reached at 040-27821923 and 040-27786296.

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