Nagpur: Poignant scenes were witnessed as the last rites of the nine persons who died in a blast at Solar Industries India near Nagpur on December 17 were held on Thursday. The nine, including six women, died in an explosion in the cast booster unit of Solar Industries, an industrial explosives and ammunition manufacturing firm, in Bazargaon.
Media reports said the bodies were handed over to the kin after DNA testing. Eight bodies were cremated, while one was buried. The last rites took place separately as per respective religious customs at Mokshadham crematorium in Nagpur,
Today’s Rate
Tuesday 24 Sept. 2024
Incidentally, angry kin had blocked the Nagpur-Amravati highway and had held protests outside the company gate on the day of the incident due to delay in retrieving the bodies of the victims.
The mass cremation was possible after the DNA identification process for 60 body samples retrieved from the TNT blast site at Solar Industries India achieved completion within an unprecedented 56-hour timeframe. This breakthrough paved the way for a mass cremation considering that most of the remains recovered consist of burnt flesh and bone fragments following the devastating incident that claimed nine lives.
The Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) team, led by Deputy Director Vijay Thakare, spearheaded the DNA sampling and matching efforts, surpassing their previous record of 76 hours set during the analysis of samples from the tragic Samruddhi Mahamarg bus accident on July 1, which resulted in the loss of 27 lives.
Forensic experts handed over their reports to the police, ending the agonizing wait for the families and friends who have been gathering at the GMCH mortuary since Monday. However, the RFSL is expected to provide further details on viscera and explosive samples later this week.
