 "Family members of a victim mourn his death a day after a blast near the Red Fort in the old quarters of Delhi. AFP")
The Delhi Red Fort blast has left the nation shaken.
As the nation reels from the horrific tragedy, there are heart-wrenching stories of families and how they are tracing the bodies of their loved ones.
Since bodies can not be identified due to being charred or mutilated, now tattoos, torn clothes are helping in identifying victims?
Let’s take the time to understand as the tragedy unfolds.
Dead Amar Kataria recognised through tattoos
When Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP) witnessed a heavy crowd in the wake of the explosion, family members of Amar Kataria clung to hope until it eventually broke. They saw a familiar pattern of ink on his hand and a torn sleeve, which confirmed their worst fear.
Amar Kataria, 34, was among the many victims of the Delhi car blast. He was a pharmaceutical businessman from Chandni Chowk. Due to the impact of fire, Kataria’s body had shrunk and charred beyond recognition.
However, his family knew that it was him only, and their worst fear was confirmed when they saw the distinctive tattoos he had.
Kataria had tattoos on his hands, each dedicated to his parents and wife - “Mom, my first love" and “Dad, my strength. The gesture of love he carried towards his family became the only proof of his identity.
While speaking to the news agency ANI, Kataria’s father asserted, “He had a shop in Bhagirath Palace and left around 6:45 pm. We learnt of the blast after someone answered his phone. We identified him through his tattoo, a chain, and an earring."
On Monday night, Kataria had plans to go out for dinner with his parents, wife and younger son. He had already spoken to them earlier about the same. However, destiny struck and Kataria became a victim of the blast.
Zunman recognised by his blue shirt and jacket
In some cases, identification became even more difficult, as clothing was the last link between the living and the dead.
The sole breadwinner of the family and another victim of the Delhi blast, Mohammad Zunman, a resident of Shastri Park, was identified by his blue shirt and jacket.
His uncle, Mohammad Idris, spent the night searching for his 35-year-old nephew, who was a battery-rickshaw driver.
Idris said, “After 9 pm, Zunman’s GPS signal went silent. Cops asked us to check the hospital, hence we went to LNJP Hospital, but he was not there."
“They also showed us four bodies, but they were unrecognisable,” Idris furthered.
However, a call turned their world upside down. The caller asserted, “A body has been found, come and identify."
As he headed towards the body, several parts, such as the legs, were missing. “We recognised Zunman by his blue shirt and jacket,” he added.
“That 35-year-old had three kids, and he used to drive his rickshaw in Chandni Chowk every day. Today, kids have no one,” he averred with teary eyes.
A night that began on an anxious note, ended in devastation
Thirty-year-old Pankaj Sahni’s family was left devastated when they discovered Sahni was among the victims of the blast.
His father, Ram Balak Saini, told news agency PTI that “We started calling him after we heard of the blast, but there was no response."
“Then the police call came, and he asked what my son was wearing? I told him- a shirt and blue jeans,” the broken father added.
“We rushed to LNJP after the call. We thought that they would take us to the injured ward."
“But, we were taken to the place where bodies were kept, instead. One of my relatives went inside and identified Sahni,” the father furthered.
Sahni’s car was completely mutilated. The torn clothes and the stink of burnt metal remain in the narrow lanes of the blast site, carrying the unbearable weight of grief.
With Inputs from agencies