Mumbai:
The day had rolled out uneventfully like any other. On her way back from work to her Dadar residence, accountant Varsha Kariya (25), a resident of Dadar, decided to pay a visit to Siddhivinayak temple with her friend Blossom Rodrigues (28).
The young professional is now trying hard to overcome the severe mental and physical trauma that she faced on Wednesday, after shrapnel from the blast mutilated her left arm. Doctors have not rules out amputation, in the absence of response to treatment.
The youngest of four siblings, lives with her unmarried sister and parents at Dadar. Besides a crushed left forearm, she has sustained multiple minor injuries from shrapnel to her right leg.
Dr Pardeep Bhosle, head of the orthopaedic department of KEM hospital, said, "Owing to the fire, her arm was completely burnt. The muscles on the arm have also been affected.
We have surgically aligned the bones with a rod, and connected all the blood vessels. Hopefully she will regain functionality of the arm, but may require plastic surgery."
Varsha said, "We were walking past the bus stop, near Kabutarkhana, on our way back from the temple, when I heard a deafening explosion, falling under the impact. I soon realised that my left arm was damaged, as it was covered in blood. My right leg also felt heavy.
I remember talking to a man who came forward to help me. I gave him my brother and sister's phone numbers. My friend Blossom was with me, but we got separated in the mayhem that followed the blasts. I soon lost all consciousness, and the next thing I remember, I was at the hospital."
Praying hard for a miracleCarpenter Mankeshwar Vishwakarma (28), a resident of Sion, lies in a critical condition at the IICU at KEM, with injuries to his brain and skull. His wife Rinku (26), looked distraught, as she tended to her daughter, wailing because of the pandemonium at the hospital.
Rinku said, "We have been married for the past nine years, and have a two-year-old daughter Shoni. My husband went to Dadar to purchase plywood. We hail from Uttar Pradesh, and moved to Mumbai about four years ago.
I am not yet very familiar with this city. My neighbours knew that he was at Dadar at the time of the blasts. They tried calling him, and someone responded to the call and informed them that he had been rushed to KEM.
Doctors say that my husband is better today. All we can do is pray to God for his recovery."
The couple's neighbour, Yashoda Shyamrajvar said, "Rinku has not eaten since yesterday. The poor child is also very cranky, as she senses something is wrong, and is missing her mother's attention."
Goldsmith Shirish Kandalgaonkar, 45, a Dadar resident, suffered burns on his stomach, and injuries to his liver. His brother Shailesh, a fitness trainer, said, "My brother has a small shop at Dadar near Kirti College, where he sells jewellery. His condition is stable now, though he is a little shocked and cannot speak much. I hope he recovers from the trauma soon. It was a narrow shave for him. He has two daughters, both studying, and is the sole bread winner of his family."
'I watched the news and frantically called Dad'Goldsmith Dhananjay Adhikari, 42, a resident of Parel, sustained injuries to his stomach and right leg. Speaking to MiD DAY, he said, "My shop is situated at Zaveri Bazaar.
I had gone to the Opera House area for some work. Suddenly I felt a tremor, and soon the entire region was enshrouded in smoke.
My son Kaushik called up soon, and I informed him that I had sustained injuries in the blast, and was being taken to the hospital. I don't remember who brought me here."
His son Kaushik said, "I found out about the blasts on TV. I knew that my dad had made a trip to the Opera House area, and I was very anxious. It was a close shave for my father. He is the sole bread-winner of the family, as I am still a student."
'We suffered losses, but life goes on'Vegetable vendor Bhimabai Palve, 60, a resident at Amboli, sustained injuries to his left hand, and has been experiencing hearing problems since the blast.
Palve said, "I have been selling vegetables with my husband at our Dadar stall for many years. As it was raining heavily on Wednesday, he did not accompany me to the stall. I remember a loud sound, after which everything is a blur.
The cops came to my rescue, as my left hand was bleeding severely. We live far away, and come to Dadar everyday to earn our livelihood. We lost a lot of our vegetables in the blast. This has been a huge financial setback for us. But life must go on, and we have to return to the daily grind. What can we do?"
Helping hands at the healing hallsPolice protection was tight at the hospital, and everyone had to pass through metal detectors.
Numerous VVIPs from various political parties came to inspect the medical facilities, and were escorted through the wards, as they met patients and relatives. Uddhav Thackeray and Manohar Joshi are some of the bigwigs who made an appearance yesterday.
Shailesh Kandalgaonkar said, "It was really strange to witness the way politicians came with squads of policemen, who escorted them from bed to bed to shake hands with patients. Very few of them actually spoke to the patients, however."
Relatives of the victims appeared happy with the medical facilities at the hospitals. Ramnath Palve, husband of a victim said, "The needs of the patients are being taken care of impeccably. Doctors and nurses come rushing whenever we call them."
Jalgaon resident Rani Vitthal Jadhav (55), who came to KEM at 4 am on Wednesday seeking treatment for her husband, said, "Everything was pretty normal here. We were given immediate consultation, and my husband was admitted. But we could see the blast victim's families running all over the place."
Wrong place, Wrong timeFor Mayur Tambe (23), a sweeper at KEM it was a case of being at the wrong place in the wrong time. The Vashi resident has developed hearing problems following the blast.
Mayur said, "I had gone to Dadar to buy a pair of shorts. I work in night shifts, which was scheduled to begin at 11 pm. So I decided to do a bit of shopping before work began.
I heard a sudden burst of sound. My head began reeling, and I blacked out soon. I couldn't hear anything that was happening around me.
I took a train and came to KEM, reporting to the doctors about my problems. I have escaped with minor injury with God's grace. I got engaged in April this year."