Delhi blast: Shopkeepers recall chaos as Lajpat Rai Market reopens, say recovery will take time
New Delhi (PTI): Shopkeepers at Lajpat Rai Market, which reopened on Saturday after remaining shut since the blast near the Red Fort earlier this week, said it may take several days for business and footfall to return to normal.
Most shops had their shutters down after the explosion near the Red Fort on Monday, which killed 13 people and triggered heavy security restrictions in the area.
Rakesh Kumar, who runs an electronics shop in the market, said he had reached the spot barely minutes before the incident.
"I came here only two years ago, and that evening I was standing outside when three blasts happened. The first one sounded like a normal CNG cylinder burst, the kind we hear sometimes. But the second was so loud that it felt like the ground had split," he said.
He recalled seeing a fireball after the third blast. "It looked like the sun had suddenly risen outside. It must have been around 6.50 pm. At that moment, nearly a thousand people were inside the market," he said.
Kumar said the first reaction among the people nearby was one of pure confusion.
"Somebody said a vehicle had caught fire, so people didn't panic instantly. But then the police quickly blocked the route and asked everyone to move. If they had not managed the crowd, there could have been a stampede with so many people around," he said.
According to him, the first ambulance arrived within 15 minutes of the explosion. "Police were already present in small numbers, but they handled the situation well," he added.
For many traders, the reopening of the market has brought a mix of relief and uncertainty.
"It will take time for things to become normal," said Rajinder Singh, who owns a lighting shop, adding that tourists won't come until the fear settles, and that even customers from Delhi are hesitant.
Several shopkeepers said orders placed for the wedding season were either cancelled or postponed.
"People are scared. Some clients shifted their functions to January or February. There is business loss, but more than that, there is nervousness among traders," Singh said.
With markets around the Red Fort slowly reopening, traders said they were hopeful that normal footfall would return once security agencies complete their investigation and the heat of the incident subsides.
"We just want things to calm down. The market is open today, but the fear will take time to go away," Kumar added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Junior Hockey World Cup: IndiGo crisis disrupts travel plans of players' families, fans
Chennai (PTI): For Kate, the dream was simple -- to watch her son Fahy Noah play for the Australian team in the Junior Hockey World Cup here and visit the Taj Mahal.
But her plans, like those of many others, have been upended by the operational crisis that has hit IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline.
"I am here for the first time and India is so kind and welcoming. We were hoping to see the Taj Mahal, but with the IndiGo problems, we are a bit scared now," Kate, who has come from Brisbane, told PTI outside the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here.
"One family went on a rest day and got stuck overnight. I think we will have to cancel all our travel plans now, though seeing the Taj Mahal was on my bucket list for long," she said.
ALSO READ: IndiGo fight disruptions: Opposition demands statement from government
This is the first time that 24 teams are participating in the Junior Hockey World Cup, being held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. For most players and their families, it is their maiden trip to India. Many NRIs have also flown in to support the Indian team.
However, the widespread flight delays and cancellations have thrown schedules into chaos. IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights last week, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. This resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports across the country.
Laura, who has come from Belgium with her entire family to support her son, said they are now travelling by road.
"We are happy to be here in this beautiful country. We went to Munnar and Madurai, and now we are planning to go to Puducherry and Mahabalipuram by road," she said.
"We had taken IndiGo flights earlier, but some other families who travelled on different days got stuck and somehow managed to come back by train. So we are not flying anywhere in India now. Road travel only and then back to Brussels next week," she said.
For 87-year-old Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal, a four-time Olympian and a lifelong supporter of Indian hockey, the crisis was particularly distressing. He spent 12 gruelling hours at the Chandigarh airport on December 4 before finally reaching Chennai just in time for the quarterfinals.
"Our IndiGo flight was delayed by 12 hours. We were at the airport from 7 am to 7 pm. They kept giving excuses -- the aircraft has not arrived, the pilot is not available. We had no idea what was actually happening," he said.
Accompanying Sohal was 85-year-old Tarlok Singh Mandair, a former treasurer of the English Hockey Association, who had flown in from London.
"It was a horrible experience. They kept changing the timings from 12 noon to 4 pm and we finally took off at 7:20 pm. They gave us sandwiches which were not even good," Mandair recalled.
"Our return flight is also on IndiGo, but now we are exploring other options," he said.
Jujhar Singh Plaha, 86, from London, who was on the same flight, said his excitement has turned into anxiety.
"We were so excited about this trip; hockey is our first love. But this (IndiGo crisis) spoiled our mood. Now we are worried about returning because at our age, we cannot travel long distances by train or road," he said.
Jason, the father of Australian player Roger Lachlan, has had an eventful trip to India so far -- beginning with the rain in Chennai triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
"We are from Hobart -- home of Ricky Ponting and David Boon. We arrived after a cyclone, which caused heavy rain. Now the sun is out and we are enjoying ourselves," he said with a smile.
Jason, too, has shelved all further travel plans.
"No sightseeing now. We will just eat, swim and head back. I am loving masala dosa, masala tea and curries," he said.
Some fans from Bengaluru, who had booked their flight tickets months in advance, decided not to take a risk. They opted for refunds and drove down to Chennai on Sunday to catch the semifinal.
"With flight uncertainty and trains full, we drove down. We did not want to miss India in the semis," said Vinod Chinnappa, who drove for six hours to come here.
Even officials have not been spared by the flight disruptions.
Digvijay Singh, an official of the Hockey India League franchise, waited eight hours at the Patna airport to catch a flight to Chennai.
"I did not want to miss the India-Belgium quarterfinal, so I waited. I finished all episodes of (web series) Family Man at the lounge," he said.
"I had gone to Patna from Delhi for a meeting earlier in the day and then needed to connect to Chennai," Singh said.
With the World Cup set to wrap up in two days, uncertainty about people's plans to return home looms large.
With prices of alternative flights rising and train seats nearly impossible to find, fans, officials, families and journalists are monitoring travel apps as closely as match updates.
If the situation does not improve soon, returning home could be as challenging as winning matches on the field.
