A tourist attraction and a Hindu temple were hit.
Pakistan has condemned the bombing. The Indian government is blaming Pakistani Kashmir/Islamist Lashkar-e-Toiba, over a Mosque/Temple dispute.
sigh Fourth attack this year. I’ve relatives living around 10 minutes away from the Gateway bombing. :mad:
Have you found out if they’re OK? Isn’t xash based in Bombay?
They’re alright. My parents have talked with them already.
Let’s hope to hear from xash soon, though.
What is the motive?
I assume religious tension over the Ayodhya issue caused the bombs. I would hazard because the government archiological [sp] excavation report of the disputed site came out that day.
Does anyone know if the bombs supposed to have exploded near CST actually did happen? I cant find any information on CNN or Reuters to indicate one way or another.
All of my Indian friends’ families seem to be okay, so that’s a relief. Here’s to hoping everything is okay with xash, too.
Zcrysis, for what it’s worth, everything I’ve read indicates that there were only two bombs: one near the Gateway of India and one in a market adjacent to the Mumba Devi temple. Nothing about a threat to the railway station (though isn’t it just up the road from Gateway of India?). Of course, I can’t say I know the situation any better than you do, but that’s what I’ve been seeing all day.
Out of curiosity, are you in Mumbai? My best wishes for the safety of your friends and family if you are.
A BBC article for any interested parties.
Kind of a hijack, kind of not… anyone else see this as the most likely first nuclear “war” as opposed to nuclear “attack?” (Pak. vs. India)
Yes, he is. And I hope he checks in soon, dammit.
Of course, Bombay’s a big city. Make that HUGE city. He’s probably all right, of course.
30,000,000 people, according to the beeb this morning. Their communications are likely be severely disrupted at the moment, though.
Just got word that Xash is actually out of town this week - that’s why we haven’t heard from him.
Me too. Was rather worried, but apparently things are normalising pretty quickly. The blasts happened only yesterday, and already today my kid sister went off to college (which happens to be in the same general area). Touch wood and all that.
Everything I read on the Mid-day website seemed to suggest that there were two blasts, neither near CST. The Mid-day, by the way, is a local Bombay tabloid. Not the height of reliability, but it is on the spot.
Thanks for the concern, all. I was out of town at the time of the blasts, and still am.
To address the facts: There were 2 blasts, contrary to early reports of more than 2 blasts. The first one, at about 12.35p.m. was in Zaveri Bazaar just outside the Mumba Devi temple, and the second was at about 1.15p.m. in the parking lot between the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Both these places were extremely crowded at the time of the attacks, as indeed any place in Bombay is most times of the day and night.
The events are tragic and senseless. I do hope we can prevent further attacks. As far as the motives are concerned, it’s not all too clear on what triggered these specific blasts, or whether the timing had any significance. Although it is widely known that India, and more increasingly Bombay, is a target for extremists.
Althought there is no official word, the authorities seem to be tying the timing of the blasts to the upcoming Ganesh festival. They are saying that the locations were selected to cause communcal tensions (between Hindus and Muslims) and to disrupt tourism and business in Bombay, which is the commercial capital of the country (the stock markets crashed heavily once news spread). The first bomb was placed just outside a famous temple, in an area that has incidentally been a target of a previous bomb blast 10 years ago. The second was placed between the Gateway of India, arguably the city’s most significant monument, and the Taj Mahal Hotel, which is a 5-star hotel that’s a clear choice for Heads of States and westerners alike.
The events are extremely tragic. And unnervingly random. I was at the site of the second blast not 36 hours before it happened. I had since left the city. The last time that Bombay was attacked by a series of bomb blasts (about 11 in all) was 10 years ago. I was a few hundred metres from one of the blasts. There were many tragic stories then, as sadly there will be again. I remember one of the stories back then… there was a guy who called up his family after one of the blasts, to say that he was ok, only to die in one of the following blasts.
I have been deluged by calls from relatives and friends asking if I’m ok. Thankfully, me and mine are all ok. I’ll have to shell out a whole lot when the cellular roaming bill comes in, but I’ll take the trade anyday.