Distressed Kin Wait at Sigachi, Seek Answers

Hyderabad: Two days after the explosion at Sigachi Industries, families still stand outside the factory gates, clutching names, identity cards and the same questions they brought with them from their hometown. Among them were two from Bihar, along with their extended friends and family, looking for Dilip Gosai, Deepak Kumar and Naga Pashwan. All three were migrant workers from Bihar working here for a year.

Their relatives took the first train on the morning of June 30 to Hyderabad and have been here since. Shankar Gosai, who arrived from Bihar’s Jamui district, identified Dilip as his elder brother. “He was the one who earned for the whole family. He had three daughters, two sons, and they’re all back home. One of the girls just finished her B.A., another is about to get married, the youngest has passed her matric,” he said. “We spoke at 9 in the morning. He said he was leaving for duty. Then, an hour later, we got the news.”

Shivjiram, who has been looking for his son Deepak Kumar, looked quite hopeless and said, “What is the point of us talking? Just help me find my son. We have been here for so long, and I still do not have much information.” The family submitted blood samples as instructed by the police. “They told us to wait for two days, that some report would come. What do we do till then? We don’t even know if he’s alive,” said Shankar. The company has not confirmed if Dilip was on the duty roster that day.

Shankar said they have been standing around since they arrived, talking to officials, security guards and police. “We will wait two, three days. If nothing happens, we will go to the office, see what can be done.” They are not alone. Several others have come from across districts and states.

Most are still waiting for names, confirmations, even a word. Some haven’t gone home since the day of the blast. Others are unsure who to speak to. They know their people were inside. What they don’t know is whether they’ll ever see them again.