Twitter
Advertisement

Mumbai blasts: Uneasy calm cages Kabutarkhana locals

Although the spot where the blast occurred was still barricaded, people were seen going about their work right from the wee hours.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

A day after a relatively low-intensity blast ripped apart the Hanuman Mandir bus stop at Kabutarkhana in Dadar, it was business as usual on Thursday in the area, which is a mixture of residential buildings and small shops. Although the spot where the blast occurred was still barricaded, people were seen going about their work right from the wee hours.

At around 9am, many shopkeepers were seen gathering in the area and there were discussions about when to open shutters.

“We have not been given any deadline to open our shops. However, we want to make sure that before we open, the police has given us a go-ahead,” said one of the shopkeepers. Among residents, the only topic of discussion was the blast and how they survived it.

“The last bus for the D’Silva High School kids leaves every evening at around 6.30-6.45pm. The blast occurred barely a few minutes after the bus left. Imagine the situation if any of the school kids would have been around the area during that shocking hour,” said a housewife.

The police presence in the area was also quite surprisingly low and the personnel present were not obstructing pedestrians. While Hanuman Mandir and all the small businesses around Kabutarkhana were functioning normally, the school and junior college was kept closed.

“Dadar has seen this in the past. One of the biggest bomb blast was near Sena Bhavan petrol pump in March 1993. I was there, helping the injured. That was a real shocker. Even yesterday, there was quite a frenzy when the blast took place. It is our routine to go for morning and evening walks from here up to Shivaji Park. However, yesterday, we helped some of the injured to the hospitals,” said Sharad Pohore (name changed on request), who accompanied by a group of senior citizens.

Among the major sufferers of the blast were the footpath vendors along the road which goes right up to Agar Bazaar area and ends near Portuguese church. When asked, one of the police officials on duty said that they were being removed as a precautionary measure.

“Even near the bus stop, there were vegetable vendors and cobblers. Some of them used to keep their belongings above the shelter of the bus stop, which was the epicentre of the blast. How can we allow them to work?” said an official.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement