Relatives of Mundka victims say they are waiting for the bandh

Two days after the massive fire in Mundka, in which 27 people lost their livesAkbar is still looking for his wife who worked in a four-storey commercial building that was engulfed in flames.

So far only eight bodies have been identified. The police have collected biological samples of several people for DNA profiling, whose family members had died in the incident. Mr. Akbar is one of them.

They say that the people to whom the bodies of their deceased relatives have been handed over have been locked up in one form or the other. Families like his are still hoping against all odds.

“Until the forensic report that identifies my wife’s body comes, I’m still hopeful that she may be alive somewhere… Officials are saying the report will take at least two to three days… I Till then I will sit outside the morgue. The report comes,” said Mr. Akbar.

He has three children, the youngest of whom is two years old. “She was working in the company for two years and was satisfied with her job despite the salary not being high. Our youngest child is not aware of the fate of his mother. Who will explain to him?” They said.

Holding a photograph of his 21-year-old daughter Monica Tiwari outside the building where she worked, an e-rickshaw driver, Vijay Tiwari talks about his daughter’s aspirations.

“It was only three months since he started working here. She used to pack CCTV cameras. Monica loved her job and loved working here. She had completed schooling and wanted to study further to get a better job. But due to my financial condition, his dream remained unfulfilled,” said Mr. Tiwari.

He said he and his family were wandering from door to door, constantly checking with police and hospital authorities to see if any other bodies had been identified.

“I don’t know how long it will take to identify my daughter. Me and my family are traveling in our e-rickshaws throughout the day, hopefully Monika’s body will be identified soon and we can take the body back to perform the last rites,” said Mr. Tiwari.

Sobbing inside the e-rickshaw, Monica’s mother, Vijayalakshmi recalled how her daughter’s happiness knew no bounds when she last spoke to Vijayalakshmi a day before the incident.

“She had just received her salary and was feeling very relieved. She was always going to work extra hours to help meet the family expenses,” said Ms. Vijayalakshmi.

Pankaj Kumar is also spending his time outside the morgue, trying to find out if the body of his 21-year-old sister has been identified. “Nisha was the sole breadwinner of the family. Her salary used to support a family of five including her mother and two sisters,” Kumar said. His only wish now is to hand over his sister’s body so that he can perform her last rites.

Moni, the younger sister of 21-year-old Pooja, who was missing after the incident, said, “She was the eldest of the three of us. Our father passed away in 2012. Therefore, the family came to him to run. She was running the household expenses during her graduation. I remember him as a person who always helped someone in need. I hope she was doing the same during the incident.”