"I had finished my idli and was about to eat dosa. My mother called me over the phone and I walked some 10 metres away to talk to her which saved my life," says 24-year-old software engineer Kumar Alankrit, who had a close shave in the IED blast at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru that injured nine people. The blast was reported around 1 pm when many employees, like Alankrit, from nearby IT companies were having lunch at the popular vegetarian restaurant. Alankrit, a native of Bihar, who initially thought it to be a domestic cylinder blast got to know that it was something bigger only from TV news in the evening. The software engineer with a private firm in Bengaluru lives close to Rameshwaram Cafe. Like any other day, Kumar went to Rameshwaram Cafe for lunch. "I went there about 12.30 pm and I had just finished eating idli and was about to eat dosa. My mother called me just to inquire how the day was going and also she was checking whether I had lunch. I had moved some 10-15 metres away from where the blast took and it saved me. It took me a while to come to terms that I remained unhurt," he told The Indian Express. Kumar, who has been working in Bengaluru for the past one year recalls, says that he had been working from home. “Incidentally, I used to sit near that tree where the blast took place to have my food whenever I go. My mother's one phone call saved me,” he says pointing to the spot which is now destroyed. “Initially, the local people and even I believed that it was a domestic cylinder blast and I rushed to help some of the injured. I stayed for some 45 minutes after the incident. There were about more than 100-150 people in the cafe when the incident took place. It was only in the evening after going through media reports I came to know that it was a bomb blast. At least 10-15 people were there where the blast took place. And that was one of my favourite places to have food whenever I go. This incident has just shocked me like any person,” he says. The blast has sent shock waves across the city raising concerns over safety in public places. Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association president P C Rao said that the association will be convening a meeting with police officials, member hotels and other stakeholders to discuss the SOPs to maintain vigil in hotels. “The incident is a wake-up call for us and we must not let our guard down. We will convene a meeting with member hotels, police officials and other stakeholders on Wednesday to discuss the dos and don’ts in hotels, review the SOPs and beef up security measures to avert an untoward situation. We are planning to have a zero tolerance approach against suspicious individuals and those who are loitering in the hotels henceforth.” Meanwhile, one of the severely injured, Swarnamba Narayanappa, underwent a plastic surgery to treat burn injuries on the right side of her upper body and was shifted to ICU. Dr Pradeep Kumar of Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre on Saturday said that there were glass and plastic pieces that were stuck on the face and other parts of the body of Swarnamba which might have been used in the IED.
