Burnt remains complicate DNA identification in Mundathikode tragedy, results to be delayed

THRISSUR: The painstaking process of identifying the victims of the Mundathikode fire accident has hit a technical bottleneck. While forensic teams have completed the inquest of 133 out of the 140 recovered body parts, the path to a final DNA match remains arduous.

Of the recovered remains, 132 parts have been submitted for DNA profiling. However, the sheer intensity of the fire has made standard testing impossible. Because the extreme heat destroyed usable blood and soft tissue cells, specialists must now pivot to extracting genetic material from bones and teeth.

This "deep-tissue" extraction is a race against degradation. Scientists must repeatedly purify the minute, heat-damaged DNA fragments recovered from the remains before they can begin the complex task of cross-referencing them against samples from various relatives.

Casualties and missing

The human toll of the accident continues to fluctuate as authorities reconcile the list of the missing with the remains found. Currently, the bodies of 10 victims have been identified and returned to their families, while one unidentified body remains in the morgue.

Official records list CA Suresh, Abhijith, and Vishnu as missing. They are among the 41 people reported to have been present at the site during the explosion.

The crisis remains acute for the survivors currently hospitalised. At the Medical College Hospital, Babu, Rajesh, and Vishnu are still fighting for their lives in critical condition, while Bhavani continues her recovery in the surgical ward. In the private sector, Wilson and Sajan are receiving specialised care at an elite hospital. While eight individuals have fortunately been discharged, the status of three Kundannur natives—Rajan, Biju Jose, and Manoj—is still being verified to determine if they were among those injured in the blast.