Dozens killed in Indian blasts
Four blasts rocked town of Malegaon, 160 miles north-east of Mumbai
Also In The News
|
Hundreds of scientists are gathering for the seventh day of the British Association for the Advancement of Science's (BA) annual festival of science. |  |
Friday, 08, Sep 2006 11:53
Dozens of people are feared dead following a series of bomb blasts in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.
Police have confirmed that at least four blasts rocked the town of Malegaon, 160 miles north-east of Mumbai, at about 13:50 local time, 09:20 BST.
Up to 25 people are reported to have died and many more injured although no official casualty toll has yet been confirmed.
Superintendent Raj Wardhan said that recovery operations are underway and that any further details will be released shortly.
Concern is rising as the bombs struck a busy market place where thousands of people had gathered for Friday prayers.
The town of Malegaon has witnessed extensive religious violence in the past and police had been expecting incidents this weekend as it is the Muslim festival Shab-e-Baraat.
Today's blasts come just days after Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh warned that terrorist attacks on economic, religious and nuclear targets were likely.
They also come just weeks after 186 people were killed in the financial hub of Mumbai after a series of bombs caused carnage on commuter trains. Islamist militant groups with links across the border in Pakistan have been blamed for those attacks.