Tragedy on a stage

They were acting out their own tragedy on a stage. An elevated platform in the park adjacent to the collapsed Laxmi Nagar building.

They were acting out their own tragedy on a stage. An elevated platform in the park adjacent to the collapsed Laxmi Nagar building,which was originally erected for marriage ceremonies,has now become a place for mourning.

Twelve-year-old Kavita from Kolkata sat on a cement block and wiped tears streaming down her face. Though she had survived,her brother Buppy had died after a fan collapsed on him. Sobbing,she recounts the incident: People were pulling at my mothers hands and legs. My father was crying.

A crowd had gathered to watch Urmila,15,who was refusing to drink the water being offered to her. When her father asked for a room that was on the fourth floor,little did he know that it would one day save their lives. They had less weight to bear than the ones housed below. But Urmila cant be sure if her mother is still alive.

While most were sorrowful,a few bristled with anger. Are you here to see our grief? Can you feel our pain? screamed the aunt of 16-year-old Konika,trying to shield her from the curious eyes of passersby. The girl had survived the incident just because she stepped out for a while to get Parle biscuits for her sister. There was a loud crash,followed by commotion,and Konika saw nothing but a cloud of dust. Her sister was found late in the night,but she wasnt alive.

Seema,15,wanted to go see where her house stood. The building had collapsed while she was out shopping,trapping her brother Kallu under the rubble. From time to time,she tried to skirt past the police but in vain. Once,she nearly succeeded. That is our sewing machine, she said,pointing at something in the rubble before being escorted away.

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