Over 40 victims were electrocuted, no injury marks found on bodies

BHUBANESWAR: At least 40 bodies retrieved from the accident-hit Coromandel Express did not bear any injury marks. All had died of electrocution after the live overhead wires snapped and fell on the compartments during the crash, top officials said.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) FIR lodged by sub-inspector Papu Kumar Naik, attributed some deaths to electrocution in the overhead wire, apart from those in the collision between Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express and Yeshwantpur (Bengaluru)-Howrah Express at 6.55 pm on Friday and when train coaches crashed against a stationary goods train.
"Many passengers succumbed to the injuries caused due to the collision and electrocution coming in contact with overhead LT (low tension) line," the FIR said.
A top police officer, who was overseeing the rescue operation, said: "While several bodies were disfigured beyond recognition, more than 40 bodies had no visible injury marks or bleeding from anywhere. Many of these deaths were due to electrocution."
Purna Chandra Mishra, who retired as chief operations manager of East Coast Railway said it is possible that during the fraction of seconds when the overhead electric wires snapped, it electrocuted persons who came in contact. "It is possible. People on the ground know this better," he said.
Bogies of both the trains capsized causing more than 100 deaths and injuries to several hundreds of passengers, the FIR said.
The GRP had registered a case of death due to negligence (IPC 304-A) against unidentified individuals and appointed a DSP-ranked officer to lead the investigation into the triple train tragedy that occurred on Friday, before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was called in.
The CBI team arrived in the state on Monday, sources said.
The FIR did not name any accused.