Bawana fire: Devastated kin look for bodies, answers

It's 10:30 am. Rubeena is sitting outside BR Ambedkar Hospital's mortuary in Rohini. The 17-year-old girl is with her father. She screams to meet her mother, who died in Saturday's warehouse fire.

"My wife Madina, 55, left behind two mentally challenged children — Rubeena and Feroz. She singlehandedly took take care of both. I don't know what I will do without her now," says Nasruddin, 65, as he bangs his head against a chair.

Nasruddin and Rubeena were among hundreds of angry and grief-stricken people gathered at the hospital to identify or collect the bodies of their loved ones. However, there was no word from authorities on when the bodies will be handed over.

Also at the hospital was Phoolmati, a resident of Metro Vihar JJ Colony, who lost her 18-year-old daughter in the tragedy.

"Pata nahi kaise tadpi hogi meri beti. Mujhe awaaz bhi lagayi hogi usne. Mai nahi aa payi usko bachane. Ab mai use kabhi nahi dekh paungi," she wails.

Phoolmati's daughter Rita was the youngest among the deceased. It was her second day at the warehouse. "She told me that it was a toy factory. Had I known the reality, I would have never allowed her to work there," she says.

Sitting next to her is Mukhtar of Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district. The 40-something is here to collect his wife Afsana's body. "I was not here when she had joined the warehouse. She wanted to support the family after I lost my job due to my ill health. I had never thought that the cost of my wife's life was Rs 200 a day," he weeps.

At around 11 am, relatives of the victims quarrel with hospital staff for bodies. "We have been told that the Health Minister and the L-G are coming here. So, we have to wait. How will their visit make a difference now?" asks Afasana's sister Shabana. "We have to take our sister's body to Bulandshahr. We have not told our old parents about her death. They still think she is alive," she says.

"We hopped from one hospital to another searching for Madina last night. Then, we got a call from police to identify a body at the hospital early in the morning. And, it turned out to be hers," Nasruddin says. "But, now they are not telling us when they will release the body."

Half-an-hour later, a hospital staff comes shouting the names of the deceased. The relatives were told to identify bodies for the last time. "What can be more unfortunate for a parent then seeing her dead child?" asks Kiren Devi.

Six of the 15 identified bodies were brought to Metro Vihar JJ Colony at around 1pm. Four deceased were neighbours. "We have never witnessed such a heart breaking scene in our locality. The warehouse owner should be hanged. He should not be spared," says Rajwati, a resident.