The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the Odisha triple train catastrophe that killed over 292 people and injured hundreds more, reportedly sealed the house of the Soro section Signal Junior Engineer, identified as Amir Khan, in Balasore on Monday.
According to media sources, the CBI sealed the rented residence of the Junior Engineer, who has apparently gone missing along with his family members since the terrible accident near the Bahanaga railway station on June 2.However, no formal confirmation of the development has been provided.
Recently, the CBI team questioned Khan as part of the probe at an undisclosed location.
The media reports stated that the Central probe team had left Balasore on June 16 after conducting investigation at the accident spot but, officials returned again on Monday and sealed JE’s house.
Death toll mounts to 292
On June 18, the death toll in the Balasore train accident rose to 292 with a 24-year-old passenger from West Bengal succumbing to his injuries at a state-run hospital in Cuttack. Of the 205 injured people admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital, 45 are still under treatment, including 12 in ICU, an official of the health facility said.
“Of the 12 patients in ICU, the condition of two persons remain critical,” he said.
Altogether 287 people died on the spot in the triple train accident earlier this month and five others succumbed to their injuries in hospitals, while 1,208 were injured.
The Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Super Fast Express and a goods train were involved in the pile-up, now being described as one of India’s worst train accidents.
The Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train, derailing most of its coaches around 7 pm on June 2 near the Bahanaga Bazar station.
A few coaches of the Coromandel Express whiplashed the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express which was passing by at the same time.
Meanwhile, 81 bodies at the AIIMS in Bhubaneswar remain unidentified.Although 70 people have previously supplied blood samples for DNA testing, the results are still pending, according to an official.
The AIIMS Bhubaneswar administration submitted a letter to the Delhi-based Central Forensic Science Laboratory on Saturday, requesting that the DNA sampling test reports for at least 15 people be sent, as their family members were eagerly awaiting such verification reports.
Meanwhile, the Indian Railways has issued a public notice urging relatives of those killed in the Bahanaga railway tragedy to come forward and provide DNA samples in order to confirm their identity and relationship with the deceased.