Deadly blasts hit Indian capital
New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Terrorists struck in the capital in a big way on the eve of Diwali on Saturday triggering three explosions in two markets and near a bus killing at least 50 people and injuring over 70 others, including some foreigners.
The first explosion took place at around 17.40 IST in the busy Paharganj market in central Delhi in which 11 people died and 60 were injured. The market, which is frequented by foreigners, was bustling with Diwali shoppers. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights that starts Tuesday.
Minutes later another explosion rocked Sarojini Nagar Market in south Delhi killing where maximum casualties were reported. Another blast took place 10 km further south in Govindpuri area.
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said 37 bodies were in Safdarjang Hospital while Union Health Secretary P K Hota said 7 bodies were brought to Lady Hardinge hospital, 4 to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and two to AIIMS.
Police Commissioner K K Paul said that the explosive, which went off in Paharganj, was planted either in a motorcycle or a rickshaw. Nine others were killed in Sarojini Nagar Market area and Govindpuri, police sources said.
Market areas of Paharganj and Sarojini Nagar were choc-a-bloc with shoppers doing their last minute purchases for Diwali next week.
Sixteen injured were admitted in the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, of which four had succumbed to their injuries while others were being treated, Medical Superintendent N K Chaturvedi said.
The blasts are suspected to be the handiwork of banned Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba outfit. However, the Pakistani government condemned the explosions.
Its foreign ministry said in a statement: "Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Delhi, which have resulted in the loss of a number of innocent lives.
"The attack in a crowded market place is a criminal act of terrorism."
An alert was sounded in the capital with the police chief asking people to be vigilant. He said unclaimed objects lying anywhere should not be touched and information about these should be passed on to the police immediately. The public has also been asked to inform the police about any suspicious persons moving in their neighbourhood in the recent days or any other suspicious movement they might have seen.
The blasts came a little more than two weeks after the US embassy in New Delhi issued a public warning about possible terrorist attacks in the Indian capital and other cities, including suicide bombings.
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14/09/2005
02/10/2005
