‘Constant ringing in my ears… brain feels heavy’: At Lok Nayak hospital, Red Fort blast survivors grapple with burns, bruises — and shock

At the main casualty ward, opposite the emergency wing, several patients queued up for burn injury treatment. One of them was Joginder Singh, a 34-year-old cab driver who was waiting to pick up a passenger when the blast happened.

“My cab is gone… completely burned. I bought it with all my savings two months ago to make a living, and now nothing is left,” said Joginder, as he lay on the bed with bandages on his neck, hands and head. He was admitted for multiple burn injuries.

Suman (39) and her neighbour Sarita Saxena, residents of Chawri Bazaar, had set out together in an e-rickshaw to the Gauri Shankar temple when the explosion tore through the area.

“Our rickshaw overturned,” said Suman, who cannot lift her left arm. Sarita, lying on the next bed, said, “My right shoulder is not moving.”

They said they came to the hospital on their own. “If we tell our families, they will… ask what we were doing outside because we had not told them before leaving the house,” said Suman, “My 11-year-old daughter is alone at home. Our husbands work in Nangloi. If they find out, they will scold us.”

Sarita winced in pain. “We just want to leave quickly… They only gave an injection… It’s hurting a lot — we’ll go elsewhere else,” she said.

On another hospital bed was Kishori Lal, 42, who hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich. A daily-wage worker who now lives in Yamuna Bazaar, he had been walking towards the Matia Mahal market — when he was planning to beg for a roti for dinner — when the blast took place.

Showing a cut on his right thigh, he said, “My right hand is also hurting a lot near the elbow.”

Recalling the blast, he said, “I was hungry, I was just heading to eat… when, suddenly, there was a loud blast… something hit me in the leg,” he said.

“For the past four-five days, I had… desperately been wanting to go home. I even told my mother this morning over the phone — but I didn’t have the money to go back.”

He broke down as he spoke of trying to reach her after the explosion: “The phone wasn’t connecting… I tried three times… Finally, I spoke to someone in the neighbourhood.”

Among the younger victims was 25-year-old Safwaan, who hails from Chennai and has an auto spare parts business in Chandni Chowk. “It’s been two hours since I came here, but nothing has happened,” he claimed. He suffered injuries to the underside of his knee.

Shaina Parveen, 23, who works in accounts, said she felt a constant ringing in her ears. “My brain feels heavy,” she said. She was at Chandni Chowk to buy a kneecap for her father.

Sameer (26) was unable to move. Wailing in pain, he said it felt like a cylinder exploded and people collapsed.

While he was unable to talk much, his brother Intezar said Sameer is an autorickshaw driver and was at Red Fort waiting for passengers. “He was driving all day and waited at Red Fort for some time when the blast occurred. He did not have a phone but he got someone to call.”

While Sameer’s e-rickshaw burnt down, Intezar said they are glad to find him alive.

Also among the injured was Shiva Jaiswal (32). Nitin Kumar, his brother-in-law, said Shiva had shopped at the Gandhinagar market and wanted to take the Metro to his home in Govindpuri, but took a three-wheeler instead as he had a lot of items to carry.

His wife, Poornima, said, “They are not allowing us to meet him. His face is bloodied… We called him so many times but he didn’t pick up.”