Mumbai blasts: One more succumbs to injuries, toll rises to 25

The July 13 blasts claimed their 25th victim, Vallabhbhai Gadia, 48, on Thursday. Gadia, a diamond merchant who was working at Opera House, died at Saifee hospital early Thursday morning. According to hospital authorities, Gadia’s death was unexpected. 

While he was on ventilator support for a while after he had been admitted, his condition had improved recently.

“He had developed gangrene in his legs. Dr Nikhil Shah, the orthopaedic surgeon attached to our hospital, had amputated his legs on Wednesday. However, his condition took a turn for the worse and we moved him to the ICU. He eventually died of a heart attack early Thursday morning,” said a Saifee spokesperson.

The body was handed over to the police, who sent it for post-mortem at JJ Hospital. A doctor from the JJ forensics department said “The post mortem is complete but the family has requested that the body be held for two days, as some family members are coming in for the funeral.”

Gadia had been undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy (which increases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, and thereby accelerates healing) at Jaslok Hospital for the past 15 days.
“We did not have that facility here, so we sent him to Jaslok. Our doctors tried their best to save him,” said the hospital spokesperson.

Gadia is survived by his wife, Kanchan, a daughter and two sons. His family said that he was barely 5ft away from the blast spot and was taken to Saifee Hospital immediately.