Tragedy Strikes Delhi: Nine Lives Lost in Red Fort Blast
A day after a devastating blast near Red Fort Metro Station claimed nine lives, heart-wrenching scenes unfolded across Delhi hospitals and mortuaries as families struggled to identify their loved ones. The explosion on Monday evening left several families in despair, with many victims being identified only through their clothing, tattoos and personal belongings.
Desperate Search for Missing Loved Ones
For 35-year-old e-rickshaw driver Jumman Khan's family, the nightmare began when he didn't return home on Monday evening. The GPS tracker on his family locator app showed his location frozen near the blast site. His differently-abled wife Tanuja, accompanied by their three young children aged 11, 8 and 7, searched desperately across the blast spot, Lok Nayak Hospital Emergency and the mortuary.
"Some bodies were still unidentifiable, but none appeared to be Jumman," family members recalled. In despair, Tanuja cried out: "Koi mota hai, koi patla hai, par mere pati ki body kahaan hai?" (Some are fat, some are thin, but where is my husband's body?).
After visiting Shastri Nagar police station, the family returned to the mortuary at 4 pm where they finally found Jumman. Tragically, only his torso remained - his hands and legs blown off in the explosion. One of his sons recognized him by the pieces of cloth on his body. "He was the only breadwinner of the family," said his uncle Muhammad Idris.
Young Lives Cut Short
Nauman Ansari, a 21-year-old shopkeeper from Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh, had come to Chandni Chowk to purchase goods for his cosmetics shop. For the past six months, he had another reason to visit Delhi - his brother was admitted at Lok Nayak Hospital with kidney failure.
Nauman was accompanied by his friend Aman, who survived the blast but underwent brain surgery on Tuesday. At the mortuary, Nauman's father sat motionless, his face buried in his hands, trembling occasionally. "Nauman was the only earning member of the family," said his friend Sonu.
Pankaj Saini, a 22-year-old Ola cab driver from Bihar who lived in Kanjhawala, had just completed his last trip for the day at Old Delhi railway station and was driving home when tragedy struck. His family knew something was wrong when they couldn't reach him after hearing about the blast around 7:30 pm.
"After we saw a picture of Pankaj's car on social media, we knew survival would be very difficult," said his cousin Ashutosh. The family identified his body at the mortuary on Tuesday morning.
Identification Through Personal Marks
For 34-year-old pharmacist Amar Kataria, it was his tattoos that helped identify him when his face was charred beyond recognition. The message "Body identified through tattoos" circulated on a traders' WhatsApp group, followed by a graphic announcing "We have lost Amar Kataria" from the Delhi Drugs Traders Association.
His colleague Ajai explained: "On his arm were the words he used to flaunt with pride - 'Mom, my first love. Dad, my strength'. Another tattoo carried the name of his wife, Kriti." Amar, who ran his business from Jaksan Pal building in Bhagirath Palace, had left work early for dinner with his family. He leaves behind his wife and a three-year-old son.
At Kaju-Kishmish, a wedding card shop in Chawri Bazaar, shopkeeper Luv Jain mourned his employee Dinesh Kumar. The 36-year-old had called around 6:30 pm and was likely stepping out of Red Fort Metro Station to catch an e-rickshaw home when the blast occurred.
"He was a happy-go-lucky person, always cracking jokes," said colleague Murli Dhar Maurya. "It seems like he has just stepped away and will be back soon." Dinesh leaves behind a wife and three children in Bahraich.
Friends United in Tragedy
Lokesh Aggarwal (60), a fertilizer trader from Amroha, and Ashok Kumar (34), a DTC conductor, had met at Chandni Chowk Metro Station after Lokesh visited a relative at Sir Gangaram Hospital. They were returning to Amroha together on a motorcycle near Red Fort when the blast took place.
Lokesh, who lost his wife a few years ago, is survived by two sons and one daughter. Ashok, who earned Rs 30,000 per month, was supporting not only his own family but also his brother's family. He leaves behind two daughters aged five and six, and a three-year-old son.
Another e-rickshaw driver, Mohsin Malik (35) from Meerut, was identified at Lok Nayak Hospital after his sister and brother-in-law Nazim came searching for him. "We saw the news on TV and called him but he did not take the call," Nazim said. Mohsin, who had been driving an e-rickshaw for two-three years, is survived by his wife Sultana and two children.
The blast near one of Delhi's most iconic landmarks has left nine families shattered, with many losing their sole breadwinners and facing uncertain futures.
