Cuttack: Chaos reigned at the mortuary of SCB Medical College and Hospital with cries of kin rending the air and people frantically searching for their dear ones. And those who were able to find the bodies were inconsolable while accepting those. Many were in shock.After the death of 12 patients in the fire tragedy, the bodies were sent for autopsy at the mortuary. The relatives were requested by the hospital authorities to identify the bodies before they were taken for postmortem. “I could not muster the courage to see my brother-in-law at the mortuary. My family members identified the body,” said Pinky Barik, a kin of deceased Gauranga Charan Barik.There was heavy police deployment at the mortuary to maintain law and order and help family members of the deceased. One person fainted after finding the body of his relative inside the mortuary, and the people present sprinkled water on her face to bring her back to consciousness.Relatives were discussing the deceased’s recovery journey and treatment plans. Some of them were talking about the deceased’s bright educational career, jobs, and good deeds. A group of middle-aged men did not speak to anybody after they saw their brother’s body.Hearse vans and ambulances stood in a queue near the mortuary to receive bodies and take them to the deceased’s homes. Political leaders and elected representatives visited the mortuary area where the kin of the deceased were waiting to receive bodies. Some social workers were trying to help the kin to get food and travel fees. Some relatives were criticising the hospital authorities for not addressing the problems in the ICU that led to so many deaths.
