Tragic Aftermath: Bodies Left on Stretchers Due to Freezer Shortage Following Fatal Chhattisgarh Accident

Chhattisgarh Accident: A horrific collision between an SUV and a truck resulted in five fatalities on Sunday evening in Kabirdham district.

Kawardha:

A devastating accident claimed five lives, including four family members from Kolkata and their driver, when their SUV collided with a truck in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district on Sunday evening, according to police reports.

The victims, all Kolkata residents, were returning to Bilaspur to catch a train home after visiting Kanha National Park in neighboring Madhya Pradesh. The accident occurred when their Bolero SUV had a head-on collision with a speeding truck. The crash was so severe that emergency responders had significant difficulty extracting the victims from the wreckage.

While the accident itself was tragic, what followed at the Bodla Community Health Center (CHC) revealed a disturbing inadequacy in rural healthcare infrastructure. Two victims died at the scene, while three others succumbed during treatment. Due to insufficient facilities, only one body could be properly preserved in the center's sole freezer – the driver's. The remaining four bodies were left on stretchers for nearly 24 hours, covered merely with sheets as decomposition began to set in.

When family members arrived from Kolkata the following day, they were confronted with not only their grief but also the distressing sight and odor of their decomposing loved ones. As temperatures rose and conditions worsened, two bodies had to be buried in Kawardha itself, while the other three were transported to Kolkata on Monday.

This incident has raised serious questions about how a government health facility responsible for an entire block could lack adequate freezer capacity to handle multiple casualties from such accidents.

Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. Devendra Purre offered an explanation: "One body was stored in the freezer while the others were preserved using ice blocks. Post-mortems were conducted on three bodies on Monday. The families took those away, while the remaining two were cremated in Kawardha with their consent."

Kawardha district, with its population approaching one million, reportedly has only four body freezers in total: two at the District Hospital, one at Bodla CHC, and one at Pandariya Health Center. When these are occupied, officials resort to using ice blocks for preservation.

The inadequate storage facilities led to infection spreading in two of the bodies, making it impossible for the families to transport them back to Kolkata for proper cremation.

The fatal accident occurred around 5 pm on October 5th on the route from Kawardha to Amarkantak. The collision was so powerful that the Bolero was severely damaged, trapping passengers inside. According to witnesses, the victims' cries for help echoed along the deserted road until assistance finally arrived.