MUMBAI—Three explosions within about 10 minutes killed at least 21 people and injured about 130 more in Mumbai during rush hour in what appears to be related attacks, according to local media.
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said that due to how close together the blasts were, they are likely a “coordinated terrorist attack,” according to NDTV.
The blasts occurred between 6:50 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., local time, in the crowded areas of Dadar West, Opera House, and Zaveri Bazaar, during evening rush hour traffic in Mumbai, which is considered the commercial capital of India.
The Opera House, where the highest-intensity explosion took place, lies at the center of South Mumbai’s business district, and is a hub of the local diamond industry. Many diamond merchants in the area were closing deals at the time of the explosion. The explosive at the Opera House was hidden under an open umbrella, according to police sources. Zaveri Bazaar, a busy shopping area for jewelry in South Mumbai, also suffered previously during devastating terror attacks in 1993. The Dadar District is densely populated and a regular site for political meetings and rallies.
As the attack coincided with one of Mumbai’s wettest days of the monsoon season, rescue efforts were impaired by low visibility due to the heavy rain and smoke from the blasts. All three bombs were improvised explosive devices, which contained projectiles that were launched at the time of explosion.
Wednesday marks the first terrorist attack in the city of 18 million since 2008, when 10 Pakistani gunmen laid siege at locations across the city in coordinated attacks that continued for more than 60 hours and left 165 people dead.
In a meeting with reporters, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram stated that National Security Guard and National Investigation Agency teams in New Delhi and Bangalore would be leaving for Mumbai shortly to conduct an investigation into the attack. Despite his assurances that he had only been informed of three bombs, rumors were spreading of a fourth, unexploded bomb that has eluded investigators.
India’s major cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bangalore have all been put on high alert.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said that the attacks constituted as “an attack on the heart of India,” according to the television station.
No groups have yet claimed responsibility for the crime. But according to the local media, suspicion has fallen on the Indian Mujahedeen and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, two terrorist organizations that have claimed responsibility for previous terrorist attacks on Indian soil. These two groups are believed to be responsible for the three major terror attacks on Mumbai in the last seven years.
The government of Pakistan soon after the attacks released a statement condemning the blasts and “expressed distress on the loss of lives and injuries.”
President Barack Obama was also quick to condemn the bomb attacks. “We will offer support to India’s efforts to bring the perpetrators of these terrible crimes to justice,” he said in a statement released by the White House.
With additional reporting from Jack Phillips
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said that due to how close together the blasts were, they are likely a “coordinated terrorist attack,” according to NDTV.
The blasts occurred between 6:50 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., local time, in the crowded areas of Dadar West, Opera House, and Zaveri Bazaar, during evening rush hour traffic in Mumbai, which is considered the commercial capital of India.
The Opera House, where the highest-intensity explosion took place, lies at the center of South Mumbai’s business district, and is a hub of the local diamond industry. Many diamond merchants in the area were closing deals at the time of the explosion. The explosive at the Opera House was hidden under an open umbrella, according to police sources. Zaveri Bazaar, a busy shopping area for jewelry in South Mumbai, also suffered previously during devastating terror attacks in 1993. The Dadar District is densely populated and a regular site for political meetings and rallies.
As the attack coincided with one of Mumbai’s wettest days of the monsoon season, rescue efforts were impaired by low visibility due to the heavy rain and smoke from the blasts. All three bombs were improvised explosive devices, which contained projectiles that were launched at the time of explosion.
Wednesday marks the first terrorist attack in the city of 18 million since 2008, when 10 Pakistani gunmen laid siege at locations across the city in coordinated attacks that continued for more than 60 hours and left 165 people dead.
In a meeting with reporters, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram stated that National Security Guard and National Investigation Agency teams in New Delhi and Bangalore would be leaving for Mumbai shortly to conduct an investigation into the attack. Despite his assurances that he had only been informed of three bombs, rumors were spreading of a fourth, unexploded bomb that has eluded investigators.
India’s major cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bangalore have all been put on high alert.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said that the attacks constituted as “an attack on the heart of India,” according to the television station.
No groups have yet claimed responsibility for the crime. But according to the local media, suspicion has fallen on the Indian Mujahedeen and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, two terrorist organizations that have claimed responsibility for previous terrorist attacks on Indian soil. These two groups are believed to be responsible for the three major terror attacks on Mumbai in the last seven years.
The government of Pakistan soon after the attacks released a statement condemning the blasts and “expressed distress on the loss of lives and injuries.”
President Barack Obama was also quick to condemn the bomb attacks. “We will offer support to India’s efforts to bring the perpetrators of these terrible crimes to justice,” he said in a statement released by the White House.
With additional reporting from Jack Phillips
