“I tried running to her, But I was held back”: Families wait for a glimpse — or a body — after Nagpur blast

The couple travel every day from Zilpa village to the factory by the company bus. On Sunday, like other mornings, they reported for duty. Within minutes of the shift beginning, the blast ripped through the women-staffed packing unit.

Dead body being brought at mortuary in GMC, Nagpur. (Express Photo)

Vijay said that in the immediate aftermath, an angry crowd assaulted the supervisor inside the premises. “I went quiet only after a friend told me that Seema was in the ambulance and had been taken to the hospital,” he said.

Nearby, their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Swarali, played unaware of the crisis unfolding around her. Inside Orange City Hospital, Seema’s parents waited anxiously for updates.

At the Orange City Hospital, where nineteen injured workers were brought, corridors filled quickly with families seeking information, some hoping for recovery, others bracing to receive bodies.

Most sustained severe thermal burns covering 30 to 80 per cent of their bodies, along with splinter injuries. Some are experiencing hearing loss, while others have mechanical wounds and long bone fractures. All are critical and require urgent surgical intervention and intensive care, hospital authorities said.

Cops deployed outside mortuary. (Express Photo)

At Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC), where the deceased were sent, families gathered outside the mortuary, aware that identification would take time. Officials said 22 packets containing dismembered remains had been brought from the site. DNA analysis is underway, and relatives have been told they may have to wait at least 48 hours before claiming the bodies.

Mala Kulmethe (35) stood outside GMC, waiting to receive her husband Rajendra Kulmethe’s body.

Mala Kulmethe wife of Rajendra Kulmethe. (Express Photo)

“You tell me, what should I do now?” she asked, her voice breaking.

“My husband and I both worked at the company. When the blast occurred, I was in the ED crimping unit, while he was in the NONEL crimping unit. As soon as I heard the explosion, I ran. But our supervisor asked us to leave the premises for safety,” she said.

“Everyone later ran back, trying to save those who were stuck inside the unit. I searched for him there. When the situation became clearer, I was told that my husband’s body had been brought here, to GMC.”

Family members watch news about the blast on phone outside mortuary at GMC. (Express Photo)

She arrived with a few police officials and her 17-year-old son. She joined the company in 2018; her husband, who had worked as a driver earlier, joined in 2022. Since then, she has been waiting outside the mortuary.

Before anyone can respond to her question, she answers herself quietly: “I will wait here.”

Vijay Dhurve (C), along with daughter, wife’s parents and brother. (Express Photo)

“She used to say, ‘What should I do sitting idle?’”

At the entrance of Orange City Hospital, Mangala Salam clutched her bag and mobile phone tightly as she waited for news of her 20-year-old daughter, Ritu Salam.

“She used to say, ‘What should I do sitting idle at home?’ That’s why she started working at the company,” Mangala said.

Agitated crowd at Orange city hospital. (Express Photo)

Her husband, Anandrao Salam, Ritu’s father, also works at the same company. On Sunday, father and daughter rode together on a motorcycle to a nearby shop before boarding the company bus to the factory.

Mangala said she was told the shift had barely begun when a fire broke out and quickly spread inside as the girls tried to run out. She held on to one detail — that Ritu was able to speak after the incident.

That, she said, was enough to believe her daughter would survive.

Agitated crowd at Orange city hospital. (Express Photo)

An agitated crowd

At one point, tensions flared at the hospital as family members confronted authorities, alleging that they were not being allowed to meet the injured.

Dr Mohit Ghapure, an intensivist, addressed the gathering and explained that only one family member per patient would be permitted to visit, subject to strict safety protocols. He asked them to wear masks and wash their hands before entering. Treatment activities resumed soon after.

Sagar Botare, the Upa-Sarpanch of Panchdhar village in Katol, accompanied 19-year-old Rupesh Uikey, whose mother Sunita Uikey is in critical condition.

Family members outside mortuary. (Express Photo)

“Suddenly, the blast occurred and everyone started running. They did not allow us to go there. In the end, I somehow found my mother, I sat in the ambulance with her and came here. I work in Plant No. 14. Doctors say her condition is serious,” Rupesh said.

As families moved between ICU doors and the mortuary gates, some waiting for recovery and others for identification, grief and uncertainty settled heavily across the hospital grounds.

Mother Meena Dhurve Daughter Mayuri Dhurve. (Express Photo)

Outside Orange City Hospital, Meena Dhurve sat on the footpath, waiting for permission to see her 24-year-old daughter, Mayuri.

“Doctors told me Mayuri has burns all over her body. They said she also has multiple fractures,” Meena said. “Another woman working at the company informed us about the tragedy. Since 10 am, we have been sitting outside the hospital.”

Beside her, Mayuri’s father, Harichandra Dhurve (50), stood silent. “We told her not to work at the explosives factory. He jokhmicha kaam aahe, sodun de (It is risky work, leave it),” he said. “But she would always say, ‘Just two more years, and then you can marry me off.’”