Hero could become blind

2005-11-02 13:44

New Delhi - He may lose his sight and the use of his right arm, but Delhi's heroic bus driver Kuldeep Singh, who saved his passengers by hurling an exploding bomb from his vehicle, is expected to live, says his family on Wednesday.

His cousin, Kusum, among a group of about 10 relatives, said: "For two days we had no idea what would happen, but now he's out of danger. He is much better, he talks."

Aruna Lata, another cousin, said Singh's condition was still extremely serious. She said: "He still can't see, his right arm has a rod in it, he can't hear much."

The attack on Singh's bus was one of three blasts in the Indian capital on Saturday night, in which 62 people died and more than 200 were injured.

Could be blinded

Another relative said the family feared Singh could permanently lose his sight and the use of his right arm.

His uncle, Girvar Singh said: "He has been operated on on one eye, but the doctors say there is no guarantee. Right now it is dead."

The other eye was closed because of massive swelling and burns on the eyelid, but doctors were hopeful it might be saved.

Kusum, who declined to give her second name, said the family was proud of the bus driver for picking up the bag containing the explosives and throwing it out. He said his action appears to have triggered the explosion.

Singh gets $4 420 bravery award

She said: "Someone else could have just got off the bus and run away, but he threw the bag out the window."

The Delhi government had decided to give the bus driver and the conductor, who pointed out the suspicious package to Singh, a "bravery" award of $4 420.

In saving the bus passengers, Singh had also given Delhi police one of their stronger leads.

Based on a description provided by passengers, police released sketches of the man who might have left the explosive-laden bag on the bus.

Elsewhere in the city, other families and friends continued the grim task of trying to identify disfigured corpses of their loved ones who had been missing since the blasts.

DNA tests

One man waiting outside Safdarjung Hospital said he had identified a young employee from his luggage shop as early as Sunday, and notified the boy's older brother to come from Bihar state to perform the last rites.

Abdul Mazid Urbablu said: "We identified him out of 50 bodies, from his height, his teeth. No on else is claiming the body, but they are not letting us take it."

Police at Safdarjung said they could not release some of the corpses without first performing DNA tests, because they were too badly mutilated.

With more than one family claiming the same body, and with some families still seeking missing members, police said they must confirm identity beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Sub-inspector Bhagwat Singh asked: "Don't the families of the missing also have a claim? Today we let someone take a body and tomorrow it turns out to be someone else's kin, what are we to say to them?"

- AFP