Indore (Madhya Pradesh):
The Indore Temple tragedy broke several hearts and homes, as people lost their loved ones for ever. A mother lost his only son, a toddler everyday checks his grandfather's room only to find it empty.
The relatives of the deceased shared their unforgettable pain with Dainik Bhaskar.
A Khatri family from Indore's Sneh Nagar based Sindhi colony has lost their only child, Somesh (11) in an horrific incident.
Speaking to Dainik Bhaskar, Riya Khatri said “My son left the home saying 'Mumma I am going to serve bhandara (community feast), you can come later'! That was the last time I saw him. The next, I got a call from temple that my child fell into the stepwell. I rushed to accident site, but was not allowed inside”, Riya cried.
Restless, the family waited for 18 hours for little Somesh. It's only when a team of Army arrived, his body could be takes out from the 60-feet stepwell on wee hours April 1.
This was the 35th body. Riya Khatri did not move from the accident site even for a moment till her son's body was found.
Today, it’s been five days, and Riya has not eaten anything. She is still waiting for her son in front of his garlanded picture.
Somesh was studying in fifth standard, and had been regularly going temple since he was six.
A hero who died while saving others
Inder Kumar Harwani (53), went to the temple with his elder son Ashwin on March 30. Both, father and son were sitting together to attend the havan, the wife Meera said.
According to the son Ashwin, before the incident, father sent him (Ashwin) to bring the change money. “I returned with the change, till then the accident had happened. When I ran to the spot, I saw that my father had fallen into the water in the stepwell. I could recognize him from his kurta,” Ashwin told Dainik Bhaskar.
People said that Inder had fallen while taking people out of the stepwell. Meera said that the government has given compensation, but what will happen with this amount. Rs 20 lakh is a loan. Should I give a loan or take care of the children?
Inder Kumar Harwani (53), a resident of Sindhi colony, used to run a cloth shop on rent. He has two sons. Ashwin is looking for a job. The younger son Krishna is currently studying in the first year of B.Com.
A tragic death for a pregnant mother and her soon-to-be-bride relative
Sindhi Colony resident Manisha Motwani (26) and relative Karishma Bandhwani (24) also died in the temple accident. Manisha was married to Akash six months ago and the duo reached the temple at 11 am.
Karishma, a resident of Sarvodaya Nagar, was a tutor. At 11.20, Karishma’s father left her at Ram Bandhwani temple. All three, Akash, Manisha and Karishma, fell together when the slab of the stepwell collapsed. Akash was saved, but Manisha and Karishma drowned. Akash is in a state of despair due to the death of his wife Manisha.
The postmortem report revealed that Manisha was pregnant. The sorrow of the child with the wife has broken Akash from inside. Even the consolation of the family members is not able to reduce his sorrow.
The same is the condition of Karishma's family members. Karishma was the only sister of two brothers Mayur and Bharat. Mother Anita was preparing for Karishma’s marriage and was searching for a groom. Karishma's body was found at 7.30 pm on March 30. Her funeral took place the next day.
According to Mayur, Karishma was studious. She used to teach both the brothers at home.
Excerpts from Dainik Bhaskar
