This Article is From Feb 16, 2010

Pune victims: Too young to die

Siblings, Ankit and Anindyee, passed away at the Pune blast

Pune: Shilpa Goenka and P. Shindhuri were all of 22. Ankit was here with his younger sister Anindyee. Six of the victims, some in college, some fresh out of it, killed in their prime. (Read & Watch:Pune blast: Octo and Ankhi, Rest in Peace)

Gokul Nepali, a migrant worker from Nepal was serving at the tables. He died instantly. His friends and colleagues, Rabi and Prakash had no way of knowing. All night, they went from one hospital to the other looking for Gokul.

''At 3 pm our shift got over and the three of us went for a stroll at Bund Garden. Ten workers were on duty. When we came back, there was nothing left. Everything was over,'' said Rabi Gimiri, Waiter, German Bakery.

A Dutch couple, who have known Pune for 26 years,they too were friends with Gokul.

"There are friends who are working at the German Bakery, so people working there, from Nepal. There are still some persons missing and we think one of our best friends, he died," said Shunyam, member of the Osho Commune.

NDTV: What have you heard about him? What happened?

A: He is missing and I think he is dead.

At the hospital, there are more stories of losses.

"My friend is inside. He lost his leg and he is okay right now and so the doctor has asked us to wait," said Mohtasin Ibrahim, a student.

''I was going to the chemist's shop to meet my uncle. Suddenly there was a blast. The auto rickshaw driver probably died on the spot,'' said another eyewitness at the hospital.

Anis Suleiman, a Sudanese student is critical with severe burn injuries. Rishabh, a student from Lucknow has both his hands badly charred.

''I didn't see anyone come in, anything suspicious. The bomb must have been under the tables. We were sitting there for an hour. There was nothing suspicious. The bomb was very powerful. I nearly blacked out. All I remember is dragging myself. My legs weren't working. I dragged myself out with my hands,'' recalled Rishabh Agarwal, student of Symbiosis Law College.

At the tables of German Bakery, on the evening of February 13 were migrant waiters, friends and acquaintances, brothers and sisters, foreign students and seekers. In a flash, nine of them no more as yet another blast leaves yet another trail of loss and destruction. 
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