Bus Conductor Killed In Delhi Blast Was Out To Receive Another Missing Victim

Ashok Kumar is one of the nine people to have lost life in the car blast near Delhi's Red Fort on Monday evening. Ashok, a native of Uttar Pradesh's Amroha, was the sole earner for his family of eight. Amroha is mourning the loss of its son.

It was a regular workday for Ashok, who was employed as a conductor with the Delhi Transport Corporation. He used to work on a cluster bus and cover the Old Delhi route.

When Pappu saw his cousin Ashok's name in the list of the victims of the Delhi blast, he was shocked. Speaking exclusively to NDTV outside the LNJP Hospital, Pappu said, "I read his name in the list and said, 'He is my cousin.' I called around to confirm. He also had a bike, which is missing right now."

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Asked if Ashok was on duty at the time of the blast, Pappu said, "He must be either returning from work or going somewhere. He used to take this route."

Ashok lived with his wife and four children - three girls and a boy - in Delhi's Jagatpur, nearly 15 km from the accident site.

"His mother, Somwati, lives in the village with her elder son, Subhash. Ashok used to single-handedly shoulder the family's responsibilities, as Subhash is often unwell," Pappu added.

Ashok supported his family by working as a conductor during the day and as a security guard at night.

READ | "We Do Not Feel Safe": Family Of Injured Says Red Fort Car Blast Was A Huge Shock

Visuals from outside the LNJP hospital, where victims of the Delhi blast are being treated, show grieving families looking for their missing family members. An elderly man was seen looking for his relative, Lokesh Kumar Gupta.

An interaction with the elderly man revealed that Ashok Kumar was supposed to receive Lokesh Kumar Gupta from Chandni Chowk metro station.

"Lokesh Kumar Gupta is my relative. We both left Sir Ganga Ram Hospital together in the evening. Lokesh boarded the metro to Chandni Chowk, where Ashok was meant to meet him," the elderly man said.

While Ashok died in the blast, Lokesh remains missing.

Video: Delhi Red Fort Car Explosion Heard On Camera, Crowd Seen Running Away

Amar Kataria, a pharmaceutical businessman, is another victim of Delhi blast. A resident of Sriniwaspuri, 34-year-old Kataria was ready to return home after a full day of work. He shut his pharmacy in Bhagirath Palace, nearly 6 km from Red Fort, and was headed home when the blast occured.

Kataria's father was seen howling outside the LNJP Hospital.

9 Killed, 20 Injured In Delhi Blast

Nine people were killed and 20 injured after a slow-moving Hyundai i20 exploded at a traffic stop near the Red Fort Metro Station gate number 1 on Monday evening. The blast occured at 6.52 pm and caused damage to nearby vehicles. Disturbing visuals from the ground showed mangled bodies.

The Hyundai i20 car had a Haryana registration number.

The blast is being probed as a terror attack, with Delhi Police having invoked UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) sections after forensic evidence and intelligence inputs pointed to possible terror links.

The blast took place on a day a massive haul of 2,900 kg of explosives was found just 50 km from the capital, in neighbouring Faridabad in Haryana.