Blast victim cries for mom's comfort
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 16 2012: Suffering insurmountable pain due to injuries inflicted by the impact of a powerful blast and seemingly giving up hope of surviving, nine-year old Preeti Kom's only wish is to be with her mother, who ironically is also struggling at a hospital bed.

Brought to Raj Polyclinic, a privately-run medical centre at North AOC, with severe injuries from the blast and put on life saving apparatus at the intensive care unit, Preeti's only utterances audible to others is her strong desire to be cuddled and comforted by her mother.

Preeti is the second of three sisters who suffered injuries of varying degrees in a powerful blast that ripped apart their rented quarters located close to the Manipur Police Training School, Pangei on March 15 morning.

The youngest of the sibling namely Tracy Kom (4) is also at the ICU fighting for survival while the mother Memcha Kom (38), is in a slightly better condition but yet to recover from the pain and trauma.

One of the children hurt in the blast

Unaware of her mother's condition, Preeti was found frequently calling out to her mother saying that she could no longer bear the pain.

Having faced the brunt of the blast, both sisters had their facial area and most of the body parts, including the limbs critically burnt.

Describing conditions of the siblings as 'very grave', Rajpolyclinic manager Ksh Dinesh told The Sangai Express that operation to remove foreign objects from the sisters' bodies could be carried out only after their conditions stabilize.

Speaking from her bed at JN Hospital Memcha said at around 8 am yesterday her step-sister Pebam Babynao (eight) brought in a carton, which was reportedly picked up from near a grocery shop located close to the their rented quarter.

Curious about what the carton might contain, Babynao handed over the same to Preeti and in the presence of Tracy and Memcha the eldest of the girls attempted to cut open with a kitchen knife.

As the cutting tool was found to be not sharp enough, Preeti stood up to fetch a razor blade but a deafening blast ripped apart the house killing Babynao on the spot and injuring the remaining mother and daughter trio.

Memcha's eldest daughter 15-year old Anjali, who was also near the spot of incident suffered injuries in her limbs, recounted the mother who informed that her second daughter Monica is with her father Angourei Kom at their Moirang mantak home.

When asked from where the carton was actually found, Memcha quoted Babynao as having said that she discovered the item abandoned in between a rice hotel and a grocery shop.

Babynao's mother namely Memi Tangkhul (29) is also recuperating at JN Hospital as she suffered wound on the abdomen area.

Even though she has been ruled out of danger, Memi is apparently yet to recover from the traumatic experience of losing her young daughter.

Babynao's father namely Jilla, a retired Manipur Rifles personnel from Nambol Khabi, runs a cycle repairing workshop at Pangei to meet this reporter condition is considered to be physically.