DNA samples of passengers charred to death to be taken

Kalaburagi: Their bodies charred beyond recognition, police are struggling to ascertain the identity of the victims of the tragic accident in Kamalapur in the morning on Friday. Passengers of the bus that caught fire were charred to death, rendering identification by conventional means nigh impossible. Consequently, police have decided to conduct a DNA test by collecting samples from the mortal remains of the victims.
The grief-stricken kin of the victims, meanwhile, appeared initially, to be in no state to speak either with the cops or the media. They are still struggling to reconcile themselves to the horrific reality of the agonising death of their loved ones. Furthermore, their own helplessness in the face of their pain is adding to their sorrow. Some of the survivors assisted the cops in identifying the victims.
Kalaburagi district superintendent of police Isha Pant told TOI, “We enlisted the help of some of the survivors and the victims’ kin, to identify the victims. Bodies of the women, we were able to identify by looking at the jewellery, the mangalasutra and other ornaments. Relatives, meanwhile, were able to identify their kin by some distinguishing physical feature, and the seats they were in.”
Isha said that, some of the passengers who survived the mishap were able to provide information on the less fortunate ones who were trapped inside the bus and were subsequently burnt to death. “With the help of this information, we identified the victims. As part of our investigation, we will also conduct a DNA test of those charred to death. We have collected the samples, and will be submitting them to the laboratory to be tested,” she said.
Isha said that, the bus caught fire when, after stumbling on a culvert, it slid into a ditch. “We are trying to ascertain the exact reason that triggered the fire. We do not know if the fire erupted owing to leakage from the fuel tank, or because of the air conditioning system. A preliminary investigation indicates that the fire may have been caused because of leakage from the fuel tank, but we are considering other theories too, with the assistance of officials from the regional transport office,” the SP said.
She said that rescue operations lasted nearly half-a-day. “All those who sustained injuries are now out of danger,” Isha said.