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Terror has struck Mumbai once again killing

at least 21 people and injuring more than

hundred. Two days after the fifth

anniversary of the 7/11 serial bombings,

three explosions rocked the Maximum city

once again.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar

said at least 21 people were killed and over

100 injured in the attacks.The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed a

terror plot and said that Improvised

Explosive Devices had been used in the

blasts. It had said at least 20 people had

been killed in the attacks and 113 others

injured.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj

Chavan had earlier said thirteen people

were killed and 81 hurt in the attacks. He

said the police officials had reached the

spot, adding he was in constant touch with

Home Minister P. Chidambaram. He

appealed to the Mumbaikars to maintain

calm. The home minister leaves on

Wednesday night for Mumbai.

The MHA said the leads pointed to the Indian

Mujahideen's hands.

Mumbai Police are questioning two IM

members, who had been arrested on

Tuesday. Internal Secretary, Home Ministry,

UK Bansal said the attacks at dense areas

were intended to cause maximum damage.

All the blasts occurred at Mumbai's crowded

market places in the peak rush hour. The

explosions occurred at Zaveri Bazar, Dadar

and Opera House between 6:45PM and 7PM.

The first blast took place in south Mumbai's

Zaveri Bazaar, near the famous Mumbadevi

temple. Four to five cars have been badly

damaged.

The second bomb went off in a taxi in

Dadar's Kabutar Khana area, a stone's throw

distance from Dadar railway station. The

number of that taxi is MH-43 A 9384. Two

people are said to be in the taxi. They have

been injured in the blast. Police have also

recovered a tiffin box from the area.

The third explosion occurred at the Opera

House building next to Pancharatna

Diamond Market. The blast took place in the

Prasad Chamber of the building.

According to JJ Hospital, 10 people have

been brought from the Zaveri Bazar blast

site. One of them has been confirmed dead,

while nine others are seriously injured.

All mobile networks have been jammed in

the blast areas.

While Chidambaram chaired a high-level

meeting in Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan

Singh spoke to Chavan to stock of the

situation.

Chidambaram said all the injured had been

evacuated. "The explosions took place

within minutes of each other, hinting at the

co-ordinated terror attacks," he said,

appealing for calm. He said the Home

Ministry will issue statements on every two

hours.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik,

on being asked if it was a terror attack, said,

"I believe so."

Union Home Secretary Raj Kumar Singh has

spoken to the DGP of Maharashtra. An NIA

team has been rushed to Mumbai for probe

into the serial blasts.

Bomb investigation unit of the NSG and a

forensic team of CFSL are also being sent to

Mumbai. High alert has been sounded in 14

cities including Delhi, with Delhi Police

spokesperson saying, "We are keeping eye

on the situation in Mumbai." The quick

reaction team of the Army has been put on

standby.

Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal

advised people to stay indoors.

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Leaders from all political parties

have condemned the serial blasts that

rocked congested areas of Mumbai

Wednesday evening, killing at least 20

people and injuring over 100.

The blasts took place in three areas of south

Mumbai - near Kabutarkhana in Dadar West,

Zaveri Bazar and Opera House, the jewellery

hubs of Mumbai - around 7 p.m.

Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan

condemned the near-simultaneous

explosions causing loss of life and injuries

to innocent citizens.

Sankaranarayanan, who was in Delhi,

rushed back to Mumbai on hearing the

news.

In a statement issued here, he said: "The

news of terrorists striking in the commercial

capital of India in the rush hour of the

evening today is shocking and shows the

desperate levels the terrorists have

stooped."

"I convey my sympathies to the families of

the victims of the blasts and wish speedy

recovery to the injured," he added.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of the

Nationalist Congress Party assured of

thorough investigation into the blasts and

appealed to Mumbaikars to not pay heed to

rumours and stay alert.

"Help will be extended to all victims in all

possible manner. However, it is still early to

tell the hand behind the blasts," he said.

Opposition leader Eknath Khadse of the

Bharatiya Janata party condemned the

attacks. "I sympathise with the relatives of

those killed and injured," he said.

State president of Samajwadi Pary Abu Azmi

said: "Police should be strict in investigating

the bomb blasts that have killed many and

injured more than 100 people," he said.

Azmi appealed to people not to make a

communal issue out of the blasts and help

each other and police in bringing the guilty

to books.

"The blasts should not be associated with

any specific religion or community. The

police should also not catch hold of those

who are not guilty for the crime," Azmi said.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said: "It is

unfortunate and disgusting. I strongly

condemn the blasts."

Former minister of state Gurudas Kamat also

condemned the attacks and said that the

guilty should be brought to book as soon as

possible.

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Panic and shock gripped the food

bazaars of South Mumbai and the busy

weekday market of Dadar as a series of

explosions rocked the crowded locations on

Wednesday evening. At Zaveri Bazar as well

as Opera House, it was the peak-hour rush

at the two khau gallis that became the

target. Dadar Market, on any day, is a sitting

duck.

From the scenes of crime to the halls of

healing , ordinary citizens sidestepped glass

shards and pools of blood to cart corpses,

injured persons and severed body parts to

hospital. Volunteers diverted traffic and gave

right of way to ambulances and fire engines

even as civic workers helped the police

gather evidence and remove debris.

The street lights went out in the alleys of

Zaveri Bazar and the rain dampened rescue

efforts. Sho cked shop owners pointed to

the remains of the scooter upon which the

explosive had been placed.“We saw an

umbrella wrapped in wires on the scooter.

The vehicle did not bear a number plate and

did not belong to any of the local

residents,”said eye-witness Vinod Divecha.

Added another volunteer, Snehal Shah, “This

area is abuzz with traders and workers who

park their scooters as they stop by for

food.”

All hands on deck as Mumbai goes into

emergency mode

Snehal Shah, a volunteer, lamented the

inaction on the part of the authorities

despite repeated complaints about illegal

parking in the Zaveri Bazar area.

Although the jamming of mobile phone

networks for two hours added to the panic,

Mumbai rose to the occasion magnificently,

going into emergency mode with all hands

on deck. Taxi drivers allowed bystanders to

pile in the dead and the injured and ferried

them to hospital free of charge. Medical

institutes threw open all their operating

theatres and casualty wards and recalled the

entire staff, including those who were off

duty.

A melee erupted outside the barred gates of

Harkisondas Hospital as distraught relatives

and doctors tried to fight their way through

crowds of anxious blood donors and

onlookers. Inside, the white tiles of the

casualty ward were marked with bloodied

footprints. The victims’ identities slowly

began to filter through. Twenty-one-year-old

Pankaj Soni, who worked with his father in

the family’s jewellery store at Lamington

Road, was in Zaveri Bazar for some work.

Onlookers say he had gone to khau galli to

eat when he was trapped in the blast. His

relative , Ramesh Soni, said that Pankaj was

declared dead at GT Hospital.

Suparna Adhikari was waiting at KEM

Hospital, Parel, for news of her father

Dhananjay Adhikari. She said, “He left our

home in Parel for Opera House at 3.30pm to

meet a friend.” When she heard about the

blast, she kept trying his phone but he didn’t

answer. Her brother then found out through

friends that their father was admitted to

KEM.

Dharavi resident Sanjay Jadhav had been

running from one hospital to another,

looking for his 55-yearold mother Bhima.

The woman, a fruit vendor, usually sat at the

site where Wednesday’s blast occurred. “I

went to the site but she wasn’t there. I have

come to KEM and her name is not in the list,”

Jadhav said.

There were others who survived by a stroke

of fate. Rajan Mandalik was close to the blast

site at Zaveri Bazar. He had walked a few

metres away from the spot to attend a

phone call seconds before the blast. His

friend Kishan Mandal (32), however , was

not as lucky. Mandal was missing till late at

night, by which time his friends had

checked out four hospitals. “His name is not

there on either the deceased or missing

persons lists,” said Mandalik. “He was sitting

on a bike and was dangerously close to the

blast spot. We are keeping our fingers

crossed.”

List Of Victims

GT Hospital

Sunil Raut, Shivraj Patil, Ravi Bora, Raju Yadav

Saifee

Sandeep Champaklal Shah, Ali Azgar

Batatawala, Tushar, Ramesh Chandra, One

unknown, Sanjay Mehta, Mohd Darodia

St Georges Hospital

Lalchand Ahuja

Harkisandas Hospital

Sunil Kumar Jain, Bhupat Nabadia, Mohan

Nair, 2 unknown

Bombay Hospital

Himmatbhai Kalubhai Gudiya

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