A rickshaw driver, a businessman, two friends chasing them – a car explosion in Delhi spared no one, shaking the lives of those caught in the blast and plunging families into a sea of grief.
Surviving family members of those who died or were seriously injured in the blast near Red Fort mourned their losses on Tuesday as authorities began identifying bodies left in the wake of the destruction.
The air outside the LNJP hospital where the bodies of the victims are kept was heavy with sadness and pictures showed relatives of the victims collapsing in agony.
The death toll from Monday’s blast currently stands at 13, but some bodies have yet to be identified.
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Among those identified as deceased were Ashok Kumar, son of Jagbansh Singh, hailing from Amroha in UP; Amar Kataria, son of Jagdish Kataria, hailing from Delhi; Lokesh Agarwal of Hasanpur; Mohsin of Meerut; and Nouman of Shamli.
As the news reached their relatives, loved ones of those who lost their lives were left in shock and mourning, with some expressing disbelief at what had transpired on an otherwise normal day.
Lives broken, families broken
Ashok, a bus conductor, worked for the Delhi Transport Corporation, covering the Old Delhi route.
When news of the blast broke, his cousin Pappu couldn’t believe what he was reading.
“I read his name on the list and said, ‘He’s my cousin.’ I called to confirm. He also had a bicycle, which is now missing,” the conductor’s cousin he said NDTV outside LNJP Hospital.
The sole breadwinner, Ashok, had a family and lived with his wife and four children in Delhi’s Jagatpur, nearly 15 km from the accident site, Pappu said, adding that he must have been on duty when the blast occurred.
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“His mother Somwati lives in the village with her elder son Subhash. Ashok used to shoulder the family responsibilities alone as Subhash is often unwell,” Pappu added.
“He was my brother. I don’t know how it all happened. He was returning from duty. He has three children, two daughters and one son. How will my sister-in-law raise them? Terrorists did this, they should be punished,” said Bhuri, sister of Ashoka from Amroha.
But it wasn’t just Ashok’s family that was gripped by grief.
The bus conductor’s friend Lokesh Agarwal, a fertilizer trader from Hasanpur, was in the national capital on Monday to check on an ailing relative.
He decided to catch up with Ashok on his way back. What should have been a joyous reunion ended in tragedy.
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“Lokesh had gone to Delhi to meet his friend Ashok. Unfortunately, both lost their lives in the blast near Red Fort. It is an irreparable loss to their families,” local MLA Mahendra Singh Khadakvanshi told ANI.
Lokes was described known as “kind-hearted and always ready to help others”.
Sajeeda, the mother of another victim, Mohsina, could not hold back her tears.
“…I want justice for my son. He has small children…,” she told ANI.
Meanwhile, Mohsin’s brother said, “We came to know around 01:30-2000 that there was an explosion. When we reached there, we saw his body lying there. We were not allowed inside. He has two children. He was driving an e-rickshaw there…”
Another victim, Nouman, was a businessman from Shamli and had come to the state capital to procure goods for his business.
As news of Nouman’s death reached his relatives, devastated family members reached the LNJP hospital on Tuesday.
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“He had a cosmetic shop here. Yesterday he went to Delhi to buy some things for the shop. He went to the market but didn’t come back. He got a call from there and we were informed that Nouman met with an accident. When we went to the hospital, we saw his body there. We want strict action against those responsible…,” the businessman’s uncle told ANI and called for severe punishment for those responsible.
Nouman’s 21-year-old relative Aman was also injured in the explosion.
The identification of those killed is still ongoing and further details are awaited.
