Even as Mumbai awaits the arrival of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, investigations are going on a war-footing on a rainy Thursday with different teams finally beginning to decode the prima facie evidence that led to three blasts in Mumbai on Wednesday evening killing 18 people and injuring 131.
In a PIB release available on its website, the Home Ministry mentioned that the timer devices used to trigger ammonium nitrate-based explosives were sophisticated even as different quatities were used for separate locations. According to the release, in the Kabutarkhana Dadar West blast, the low intensity IED, which was reportedly placed on top of a bus shelter, injured 10 people.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukehrjee. Reuters
The devices in the other two sites were powerful enough to cause more destruction. The IED at Opera House was planted below a loose slab and concealed under garbage with a handcart/foodcart on top, the release said. This blast killed 11 people and injured 73 . The Zaveri Bazaar explosive that claimed six lives and injured 50, was placed near a motorcycle and concealed under an umbrella.
“Almost 1 kg of ammonium nitrate was used to carry out the blast in Opera House, 400-600 grams were used at Zaveri Bazaar and 200 gm in Dadar,” Union Home Secretary RK Singh told reporters in New Delhi.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee condemned the attack in the strongest possible words and called it “cowardly”. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna while condemning the attack confirmed that the India-Pakistan talks would continue as per schedule.
The investigation is being conducted by the Crime Branch and Anti-Terrorist Squad of Mumbai Police with techical assistance from National Investigation Agency, National Security Guards and teams from the Central Forensic Science Laboratories.
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