Villagers gather as 10 Raigad victims recuperate

Of the 23 blast victims admitted in Charni Road’s Hurkisondas hospital, 10 patients share a unique bond. All of them hail from a single taluka in Raigad district, and were working as peons or clerks in the busy diamond market at Opera House.

Of the 23 blast victims admitted in Charni Road’s Hurkisondas hospital, 10 patients share a unique bond. All of them hail from a single taluka in Raigad district, and were working as peons or clerks in the busy diamond market at Opera House.

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On Friday afternoon, the hospital’s waiting room was flooded with more than 20 visitors from Raigad, who had a gloomy reunion as they prayed for the recovery of their fellow villagers.

“This is the first time such a calamity has struck the people of our region,” said Dinkar Satim, a peon living in Goregaon. Like the visitors and victims, he too hails from the Masla-Shrivardhan taluka. “They left the village in search of better jobs, and now we don’t know how they will carry on and support their families.”

Eight of the 10 injured are stable and in the general ward, but two are still critical in the ICU: Namdev Ghulup from Tala village has lost both his legs and 50-year-old Sahadev Bhuwad has lost his right leg. Both are the sole breadwinners of their families.

An eleventh Raigad victim, Tushar Kolambe, died on the spot. The Raigad support group at the hospital included a contingent from the region’s Nirankari religious trust. “We are ready to provide financial help and will organise a blood donation camp,” said Narayan Payar, a business professional from Bhandup and member of the trust.