Survivors of the wall collapse tragedy are struggling to come to terms with loss of life and property. In Ambedkar Nagar, one of the two sites of the collapse, residents joined the police and the National Disaster Response Force personnel to search for survivors among the debris. While some were looking for their belongings, others were searching for family members.

Afzur Rehman (30), a resident of the locality, said, “All I have left are my wife Ayesha Bano’s bangles, which I found while digging through the rubble. I don’t know where she is, or how she is. Nor do I know who I should blame for my misery.”

Seema Manna (38), another resident, said, “None of us has slept since the incident. I keep seeing the faces of my dead neighbours every time I close my eyes. We do not feel safe any more. What happened with them can happen to us tomorrow.”

The survivors now find themselves at the mercy of strangers. While they have been temporarily relocated to a temple, food and water is being provided by residents of nearby buildings. “How long can we continue to live out of a temple hall?” Kanchan Chavan said.

Another resident Nanarao Abenkar said common people are more generous than the government. He said, “We have no idea what the future holds for us.” The survivors complained about the lack of help from civic agencies and said they have only each other for support. As bodies were pulled out of the debris on Wednesday, a pall of gloom descended on the locality. The fact that a majority of victims were children heightened the sense of loss.