'She stood up, one hand was severed’

Mahindra Sariya saw a woman’s hand being severed, two bikers falling to the ground, a silver Esteem being shattered and blood everywhere all in a matter of ten minutes — between 6.55pm and 7.05pm. Mohammed Thaver reports.

Mahindra Sariya saw a woman’s hand being severed, two bikers falling to the ground, a silver Esteem being shattered and blood everywhere all in a matter of ten minutes — between 6.55pm and 7.05pm.

HT Image

Owner of an electrical appliance store opposite the Hanuman Mandir bus stop, where the explosive was kept, Sariya and his six staffers were locked in their shop for two hours because a heavy pane had blocked their entrance.

All the glass in the doors and showcases in his shop were shattered.

“We saw the woman’s hand had been severed by the blast. Her clothes were ripped. She screamed for help and then fell to the ground unconscious. We were all stunned,” said Sariya.

Sariya was stuck in his shop till 8.45pm till the fire brigade came and removed the pane dangling over his door. “We could not open our door because the pane was hanging menacingly over it. The police asked us to wait inside and finally the fire brigade came and my people could go home,” he added.

“People nearby reacted the quickest and put two of the more critical people first into a taxi and took them to KEM,” said Sariya.