Another man-made tragedy. My heart goes out to the killed and the wounded.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... w_12072006
Seven blasts push Bombay to the brink of collapse
By Peter Foster and Rahul Bedi in New Delhi
(Filed: 12/07/2006)
India's financial capital was left paralysed and in panic yesterday after a terrorist attack designed to cause maximum disruption to a city whose infrastructure is already woefully inadequate.
The seven devastating bombs were spread out along the entire length of Bombay's Western Expressway and the toll from the carefully co-ordinated attack was inevitably high.
The commuter rail route is a transport lifeline which is the backbone of one of the world's most congested cities and its trains are packed to the point where hundreds hang from doors and windows. Each day about six million people travel on Bombay's railways.
The first blast came at 6.25pm local time. It burst open the first-class compartment of a train.
"The blast was so powerful that we thought we were hit by lightning," said Gopi Chand, a local shopkeeper.
"It shook our market. The fourth carriage was completely wrecked."
Six more explosions on trains and at two stations followed over a terrifying 20-minute period.
As darkness fell, Bombay's emergency services, rudimentary by Western standards for a city of 17 million people, struggled to get through the congested streets and driving monsoon rains to reach the dead and injured at the bomb sites.
The number of deaths rose inexorably in the hours after the attacks, which are the worst to have hit Bombay since August 1993 when 260 people were killed in a series of bomb attacks attributed to Muslim-dominated underground gangs.
Confirming that the deaths had exceeded 100, Bombay's police commissioner, AN Roy, said his men were working desperately to rescue the injured.
"Obviously a terrorist outfit is behind the blasts because a normal human being could not have done this," he added.
Business leaders were concerned that Bombay's benchmark Sensex stock exchange, already suffering losses over the past two months, would plunge still further when it reopens today.
Indian security sources said the attacks were clearly aimed at unsettling recent attempts to hold talks with separatist parties in Kashmir, the disputed border territory which has caused three wars between India and Pakistan since Partition in 1947.
Officials said the co-ordinated nature of the attacks bore the hallmarks of the Islamic extremist groups Lashkar-e-Toiba, or Army of the Righteous, and Jaish-e-Mohammad, or Army of Mohammed, which have been active recently in India.
The train bombings came only hours after eight people died in a series of grenade attacks in Srinagar, the capital of Indiancontrolled Kashmir.
However, fears that terrorist attacks like yesterday's could destabilise relations between Pakistan and India have eased considerably following a period of detente.
Pakistan, which came to the brink of a nuclear exchange with India in 2002 following a terrorist attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001, was quick to condemn the attacks as a "despicable act of terrorism".
As cities throughout India were put on high security alert, Manmohan Singh, the prime minister, called for calm after an emergency meeting at his official residence. He said: "We will work to defeat the evil designs of terrorists and will not allow them to succeed."
Seven blasts push Bombay to the brink of collapse
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chonsigirl
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Seven blasts push Bombay to the brink of collapse
This is so sad, I was watching the news as the story was emerging yesterday.
Seven blasts push Bombay to the brink of collapse
OpenMind wrote: the worst to have hit Bombay since August 1993 when 260 people were killed in a series of bomb attacks attributed to Muslim-dominated underground gangs.
What is it with Muslims and bombs? Is radical Islam a threat to the whole world? It sure seems like it.
What is it with Muslims and bombs? Is radical Islam a threat to the whole world? It sure seems like it.
All the world's a stage and the men and women merely players...Shakespeare
Seven blasts push Bombay to the brink of collapse
This may be a war, but these terrorists don't fight fairly.
Even our old enemy, the IRA, would telephone in advance of a bomb.
Even our old enemy, the IRA, would telephone in advance of a bomb.
Seven blasts push Bombay to the brink of collapse
Jives wrote: What is it with Muslims and bombs? Is radical Islam a threat to the whole world? It sure seems like it.
Hardly. The idea for instance, that if the whole muslim population ganged up on say the US that the US would fall is ludicrous. What are they going to do invade? OK your economy would go down the tubes with no oil but you can always buy from Russia. Democracies don't fall when under attack by outsiders they get destroyed by those within.
What is a danger that over reaction to atrocities like this begins to gain them support from those who want to have nothing to do with them. Terrorisdts want extreme over reaction it plays right in to their hands. If you want to lay claim to the moral high ground and the rule of law you have to actually stay up there. India and Pkistan have gone to war over kashmir in the past. Both now have nuclear weapons and if Pakistan gets taken over by Islamic militants as seems likely then life could get interesting. This seems to be the action of kashmiri seperatists not the islamic fundamentalist suicide bombers that have become such bogey men..
Hardly. The idea for instance, that if the whole muslim population ganged up on say the US that the US would fall is ludicrous. What are they going to do invade? OK your economy would go down the tubes with no oil but you can always buy from Russia. Democracies don't fall when under attack by outsiders they get destroyed by those within.
What is a danger that over reaction to atrocities like this begins to gain them support from those who want to have nothing to do with them. Terrorisdts want extreme over reaction it plays right in to their hands. If you want to lay claim to the moral high ground and the rule of law you have to actually stay up there. India and Pkistan have gone to war over kashmir in the past. Both now have nuclear weapons and if Pakistan gets taken over by Islamic militants as seems likely then life could get interesting. This seems to be the action of kashmiri seperatists not the islamic fundamentalist suicide bombers that have become such bogey men..
Seven blasts push Bombay to the brink of collapse
Have you been to Mumbai? It's one of the most crowded places you could imagine! Elephants, camels, cars, motorcycles, scooters, buses, taxis, trains and pedestrians all crowd into the streets! (I'm not kidding about the elephants and camels!)
This is a city just made for terrorists!
I'm thinking that they're prioritizing cities to attack!
And I'm furious!
This is a city just made for terrorists!
I'm thinking that they're prioritizing cities to attack!
And I'm furious!
My candle's burning at both ends, it will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--It gives a lovely light!--Edna St. Vincent Millay
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Accountable
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Seven blasts push Bombay to the brink of collapse
Collapse? Hardly!
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/S ... 7D&siteid=
Their stock market opened up! :yh_clap
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/S ... 7D&siteid=
Their stock market opened up! :yh_clap
Seven blasts push Bombay to the brink of collapse
Lulu2 wrote: Have you been to Mumbai? It's one of the most crowded places you could imagine! Elephants, camels, cars, motorcycles, scooters, buses, taxis, trains and pedestrians all crowd into the streets! (I'm not kidding about the elephants and camels!)
This is a city just made for terrorists!
I'm thinking that they're prioritizing cities to attack!
And I'm furious!
They do seem to go for 'soft targets' now. I mean I assume that security in India is not as strict as it has become here and in America. Thats why terrorists bombed Bali a while back isn't it? Makes me sick!
This is a city just made for terrorists!
I'm thinking that they're prioritizing cities to attack!
And I'm furious!
They do seem to go for 'soft targets' now. I mean I assume that security in India is not as strict as it has become here and in America. Thats why terrorists bombed Bali a while back isn't it? Makes me sick!