’Those images still haunt me’

Says a visitor to the city, referring to the tremendous media coverage the Carlton Towers incident had got last year

'Those images still haunt me'

Says a visitor to the city, referring to the tremendous media coverage the Carlton Towers incident had got last year

In a twist of irony, Carlton Towers has now become a tourist spot of sorts for visitors to the city. According to a cabbie, persons new to the city often ask them to take to the site. Gurpreet, a techie from Jaipur, said, "I didn't realise it's been a year since that horrific incident. I was shocked at the airport when a cab driver named Carlton Tower as one of the places we'd be passing by. He even pointed it out to me, and recalled the incident.

Landmark: Visitors passing by the Carlton Tower stop by, and enquire
about the current status of the building. pic/Ramesh HS

It is sad to know that people forget the horror behind such incidents, and make it an object of wonder." Miyake Takashi, a visiting techie with a multinational said, "I come to B'lore often. Last year this time, I was in Kyoto. I got to know about the incident through media reports. I was saddened to know that many lives were lost."

Whereas, Sampreet R, a salesman said, "Whenever I pass by, I remember the accident. I saw people jumping from the building. I was really shocked to see that people would do anything to save their lives."

Cab drivers also use the accident to impress their customers. Vazeer Ahmed, an auto driver said, "Many customers ask about the Carlton Towers' accident and location. The incident is still fresh into peoples' minds, thanks to the media. Sometimes, if someone asks, I narrate the incident to him or her."

Gangadhar, who has pan shop near this building recently went to friend's marriage at Siddapur. "I was an instant celebrity. This location was famous because of the Diamond district, but now it is Carlton Towers."

Meanwhile, Tweeple maintain silence

>>Although the city is often regarded as the Twitter capital of the country, Tweeple were oddly quiet on the eve of the first anniversary, with hardly any mentions of the fire.
>>Kiran Jonnalagadda, last year shot to fame after his tweets from the 5th floor of Carlton Towers kept both his family and avid tweeple hooked to their computer screens with constant updates of what was happening inside.u00a0
>>Jonnalagadda has however kept mum this year, not counting the only tweet mentioning the anniversary. However, in his most recent blog, this survivor has chronicled the most minute details of the day.
>>Tinu Cherian, member of the Bangalore Twitter Community, said, "People have a short term memory. And such news is momentary. I'm certain they have forgotten."
--u00a0Bindiya Carmeline Thomas