Mumbai offers aid for quake victims

By Shishir Joshi
CNN.com Writer

MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- As Gujarat buries its dead, the wealthy citizens of India's financial capital Mumbai have opened their wallets in support.

In the past 48 hours, Mumbai's city streets have been lined with non-government organizations (NGOs) collecting food, clothing and cash donations that will be added to the massive global relief effort underway.

Almost one in five Mumbai locals are Gujaratis, many with relatives and business associates in the devastated region.

Community groups are working around the clock to provide assistance. Among them are the victims of an earthquake, which struck Maharashtra's Latur district in 1993, who have formed an association to help those in Bhuj.

Help from former quake victims

"We suffered eight years ago. We realize what it means to be in trauma and without help, which was the situation then," says Vinayak Patil, who heads the team.

"We don't want others to go through the same pain."

Since the Latur quake Patil and the fellow member of the Unique Service Trust NGO have also helped victims of flooding in Orissa in October, 1999.

Communications limited

Meanwhile, Mumbai's railway stations and airports are scenes of grief and frustration as relatives and friends of Gujarat earthquake victims rush to the disaster area.

Despite additional flights and trains, the queues of those heading for Gujarat have been growing by the minute.

And with communications to the worst hit areas of the earthquake still extremely limited, many people remain unaware of the fate of their loved ones.

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