On their toes, the ones who will bring the city back on its feet

Within half an hour of an ambulance bringing in the first casualties of today’s blasts to the JJ Hospital, Byculla, serpentine queues w...

Within half an hour of an ambulance bringing in the first casualties of today’s blasts to the JJ Hospital, Byculla, serpentine queues were visible outside the casualty ward — all offering their services, including blood.

An eager crowd appealed to the hospital administration to let them help. Some manned the traffic outside, kept the gates free for ambulances, more insisting to the hospital security staff that they wanted to donate blood. ‘‘Nek kaam karne aaye to kaise roke? (How does one stop those who want to help?)’’ asked one guard.

Outside the blood bank, an encore was unfolding. Six stretchers, donors, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff — all collecting blood from donors, some breaking the queue in their eagerness. ‘‘Even women are braving the sight of blood to offer help,’’ said a nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit.

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Those turned away didn’t lose heart. Like Nandkumar Shenoy, they helped ward boys wheel out trolleys, soaked in blood.

Shiv Sena volunteers led by Parel vibhag pramukh Ajay Chaudhari donated blood too, while activists of Arun Gawli’s Akhil Bharatiya Sena brought in blood bottles collected at a drive organised by them.

• The Bone (and other body parts) Collector

‘‘I think everyone needs to help and assist at times of such crisis,’’ says Mohammed Iqbal (40), a stone trader and resident of Zaveri Bazaar, Kalbadevi. Iqbal was seen collecting scattered body parts of the dead and injured at the site of the blast, a plastic bag and gloves in hand.

The soft-spoken man looked everywhere, under taxi seats, beneath rubble, at street corners. Many passersby were repulsed. ‘‘Shouldn’t he leave that job for hospital and police officials?’’ asked Dilip Shah, a jewellery store owner.

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Iqbal’s retort: ‘‘I’m not as disturbed by these remains in flesh as by the act of terror that killed them.’’‘‘I’m not as disturbed by these remains in flesh as by the act of terror that killed them.’’

Then, pointing at various collected items in his bag, he added, ‘‘These fingers, teeth and bones will aid doctors in making accurate identification.’’

• Designer turns rescuer: Balwant Rajpurohit (29) was at work when he got to know. He rushed from Bhuleshwar to Zaveri Bazaar and began pulling out people trapped in Navnidhan Bhavan, which had caught fire.

A salesman and designer at a jewellery manufacturing unit, he carried almost 25 bodies to taxis, to be ferried to JJ Hospital.