Chaos prevailed at the LNJP Hospital here on Tuesday as relatives, with heartbreak and anxiety writ large on their faces, waited for the disfigured bodies of blast victims who were identified from pieces of cloth and tattoos.
The mortuary gates of the hospital remained under tight security, with only authorised personnel allowed entry.
A worker at the mortuary, who had completed his early morning shift, described the scenes from the previous night as “gruesome”. Those who took over charge in the morning said they had to face endless questions from bereaved family members.
There is no official confirmation about the number of deaths from the high-intensity car blast near the Red Fort either from hospitals or the Delhi police, but sources put the toll at 12.
Sources said several bodies had been handed over to the relatives.
Autorickshaw driver Mohd Jumman, who died in the blast, was reduced to lumps of flesh. His family identified him at the mortuary from bits of clothes stuck to his dismembered body parts.
“We searched for Jumman all night but could not find him as his phone was switched off,” his sister told The Telegraph.
Jumman, who hailed from Patna, used to live in a rented house in Delhi’s Shastri Park with his mother, sister, wife and children. His last mobile location was traced to the Red Fort.
“Mera bhai ka na sar hai, na haath hai. (My brother’s head and hands were severed). We identified him from his clothes and his mobile location, which was found near the Red Fort area on Monday evening,” Jumman’s sister said.
Jumman’s uncle Qurban Ali said the hospital was delaying the handover of the body.
“No one listens to poor people’s grievances,” Ali complained. “There is too much chaos happening here.”
The family members of businessman Amar Kataria identified his body through the tattoos professing his love for his parents and wife.
The remains of another victim of the blast, Mohammad Noman, were wrapped in a white cloth. His family members held each other tightly after identifying the body.
Noman’s friend Sonu could not bring himself to enter the mortuary, saying he was not ready to see his friend in such a state.
Sources said one of the bodies remained unclaimed and DNA sampling might be conducted to establish its identity.
On Tuesday, patients arriving at the hospital were redirected to other blocks, while security personnel stationed at the gates turned away anyone attempting to enter the emergency and casualty wards. Many gates of the hospital were closed, with people being asked to use the other entry points.
Miffed and confused, several relatives were seen waiting to meet their relatives injured in the blast.
Taufiq, who has come to Delhi from Haryana, wanted to meet his elder brother Shakib, who suffered facial injuries in the blast.
Taufiq was seen trying to coax the hospital staff into allowing him to meet his brother, but was sternly turned away.
“After the blast, I got a call from my brother Shakib, who said he had been injured. He was rushed to the LNJPHospital from the blast site,” Taufiq said.
“We live in a village in Haryana. Shakib drives a cab in Delhi. He went near the Red Fort to drop off passengers,” he said.
“I want to see my brother once and enquire about his well-being. He has said that he has received facial injuries and lost his eyebrows and hair,” Taufiq said.