01:58Russia: Heartbreak as wife is buried and baby Vika remains critical
Russia: Heartbreak as wife is buried and baby Vika remains critical
Vasily Tolkunov, the father of three-month-old baby Vika who was severely burned in Volgograd's trolley bus bomb, faced the news that his baby girl is in stable but still critical condition, Friday. Tolkunov attended the burial of his wife and the mother in law earlier in the day, before returning to his daughter's side.
Recalling the devastating day of the blast, Tolkunov explained his frantic search for his wife and daughter, which ended in tragedy as he discovered his wife had died: "Just as we were leaving that hospital, word came that a young woman had been brought to a funeral home for identification. So we went there, and they took us to see the body. And there she was."
Despite the loss of his wife, Tolkunov sustains his faith in God, whom he believes saved his daughter: "As for why my daughter survived, well, I guess God does exist. The people who set off the bomb, they shouldn't have done it. They must have seen a baby being carried into the trolley. They could be terrorists, scoundrel, but how could they blow up a bus knowing that there was a new-born child onboard?", Tolkunov said.
With renewed hope for her survival, Tolkunov hopes that she will one day join the medical dynasty of his now broken family: "I hope she will grow up to be a physician, as we are a medical dynasty. I'll do everything I can to ensure that."
The attacks in Volgograd, one targeting the central railway station on Sunday and the following detonating on a crowded commuter trolley bus on Monday, have left over 30 dead and scores injured. Russian authorities have pledged 100 million rubles ($3 million/€2.2 million) to victims and the families who lost relatives to the blasts.
01:58Russia: Heartbreak as wife is buried and baby Vika remains critical
Vasily Tolkunov, the father of three-month-old baby Vika who was severely burned in Volgograd's trolley bus bomb, faced the news that his baby girl is in stable but still critical condition, Friday. Tolkunov attended the burial of his wife and the mother in law earlier in the day, before returning to his daughter's side.
Recalling the devastating day of the blast, Tolkunov explained his frantic search for his wife and daughter, which ended in tragedy as he discovered his wife had died: "Just as we were leaving that hospital, word came that a young woman had been brought to a funeral home for identification. So we went there, and they took us to see the body. And there she was."
Despite the loss of his wife, Tolkunov sustains his faith in God, whom he believes saved his daughter: "As for why my daughter survived, well, I guess God does exist. The people who set off the bomb, they shouldn't have done it. They must have seen a baby being carried into the trolley. They could be terrorists, scoundrel, but how could they blow up a bus knowing that there was a new-born child onboard?", Tolkunov said.
With renewed hope for her survival, Tolkunov hopes that she will one day join the medical dynasty of his now broken family: "I hope she will grow up to be a physician, as we are a medical dynasty. I'll do everything I can to ensure that."
The attacks in Volgograd, one targeting the central railway station on Sunday and the following detonating on a crowded commuter trolley bus on Monday, have left over 30 dead and scores injured. Russian authorities have pledged 100 million rubles ($3 million/€2.2 million) to victims and the families who lost relatives to the blasts.