Her sister, who was 13 at the time, later told Sonia about the violence and killings of people from the Sikh community following former prime minister Indira Gandhi's assassination, she said in Delhi on Saturday at a press conference commemorating the 40th anniversary of the riots.

Locals said there was a "chemical-like" smell at the site and thick white smoke everywhere as panic gripped the Paschim Vihar area after the blast happened near a CRPF school.

Now, she fears that she will not be able to return to her humble home after officials told them that their shanties were "illegal".