A head doctor informed me on condition of anonymity that 71 dead bodies had already passed through the tiny hospital in the previous 15 hours. 60 were dead on arrival while 11 died under their care, mainly from blood loss and organ failure.
They did not have the capacity or manpower to deal with such a deluge -- which is why, the doctor informed me, many of the injured and dead had been moved to other area hospitals, including Jaslok and JJ hospitals.
But this had created a logistical nightmare. Grieving families searched for loved ones feared dead or injured, many of whom had already been shifted elsewhere. Their families pored over lists, compared notes and photos, trying to discern where exactly to go next.
Though everyone around them seemed to be breaking down, either catatonic and numb or sobbing and hysterical, the hospital staff was a picture of professionalism. Everyone, from the aides to the nurses and up through the doctors, went about their work quickly, calmly and efficiently.
Outside on the streets, NSG forces and heavily armed police kept vigil. They had set up patrols throughout much of South Mumbai, and could be seen using their walkie-talkies to stay in touch with superiors and each other.
Closed store-fronts, closed schools, empty streets, empty trains, eerie quiet -- this was Mumbai on Thursday, the second day of nightmarish terror.
In this photo: Loved ones grieve for family members feared dead
Photograph: Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: NSG men storm Nariman House
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