New Delhi – Bom Blast

Hotel Bajrang, 100 Rs

New Delhi shooked. There were several bombs rocked the city, and one of them is just less than 100 m from the hotel when I live. During the moment of the blast, we were all in Indonesian embassy for breaking fast party. (Thanks God, just couldnt imagine what would happen if I was lingering around the location, because it is just so close with the restaurant I use to go. Thanks also to the Indonesian embassy party).

The bomb blasted at 5:40 pm, by the time I was just arrived in the embassy. OK, I heard the news when I was in the embassy. Suddenly rushed my way to go back to Paharganj to see what happen. Along the way, everything just looked normal, the traffic is normal, and even not so many police on road. But getting closer to the New Delhi station, there were more police everywhere. The road to Main Bazaar, Paharganj, was closed to traffic. But curious locals coming all over the area to see what happened (and also to steal the chance to be filmed on TV when the reporters reporting from the area. Just cant understand how the people were so enthutiastic to be around the reporters interviewing the folks with TV cameras).

The road of main bazaar is usually crowded, full of people selling clothes, and the traffic is chaotic (plus the cows). Now the atmosphere is little bit changed. Shops were closed, no traffic. But still many cows and people, and even the cows are not less curious than the people. The center of the bomb is the square some 200 m from the train station, and there was police line already to keep the curious people away from the rubbles.

This was quite a big blast, with at least 11 people killed in Paharganj. And in the Delhi, due to the series blasts, more than 50 people killed. In
Paharganj, as this is also foreign backpackers heaven for cheap hotels, probably there were foreigners became victim. The “Club India” Restaurant of Tibetan and Indian food was almost totally crushed.

Actually the life around the area doesnt have so much change, except the closed shops. People still went to temples to pray, the tea shops were still crowded, the barbers were still busy shaving the moustaches, and even dogs were busy barking towards all strangers. Everything looks normal, but with just a strange atmosphere.

There is a story from an eyewitness, the owner of Internet Cafe. When the bomb blast, he was in the location, eating potato from the food stall. He fell down after the rocking blast, he saw the huge flame from the buildings, and a head of a man flying on the sky, and a piece of leg of a woman flying. He saw little girl laying on the road, severely injured, and he brought the victim to the hospitals. The situation in the hospital was so chaotic, understandably.