BuzzLife

Extracted from Bernama:

MUMBAI, July 13 (Bernama) — As Mumbai, India’s financial hub struggled to come to terms with the enormous tragedy that struck on Tuesday, it was the online community, through a group of conscientious bloggers, who pitched in, providing information on victims, giving constant updates of the situation and calming thousands of overseas Indians who were frantic for news of loved ones back home.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that blogging, a sort of a online diary proved an effective means of getting information across at a time when all communications lines were down, hours after a series of seven blasts struck the busy western suburban line last evening.

"Most Indians living abroad had no way of getting through to their loved ones, no way of knowing if they were safe and sound. I think our blog helped because we called up relatives in Mumbai and got the message across to frantic kin abroad," said Amit Varma, of mumbaihelp.blogspot.com, which was used extensively.

Another blogger, Gaurav Sabnis, who posted a minute by minute update on his personal blog, said he tried to filter in the avalanche of the news coming in and give out relevant information for those who needed it.

Blogging, a relatively new online activity wherein one can write an online diary, and invite comments from readers, has picked up fast in India.

Varma said while it was "difficult to quantify the actual number of people who benefited from our blog, but from the number of comments that we have got do make a point that blogs are something people look at in times of crisis. That is the reason we started this blog and we hope it will come in use later on as well."

The blog has a section where people can access important numbers, as well as leave their own phone numbers if they need someone to be contacted in Mumbai.

– BERNAMA