Bomb blasts in India's Hyderabad leave 18 dead

Over 50 people sustained injuries, many of whom are in critical condition.

HYDERABAD: Multiple bomb blasts in Hyderabad, India left 18 dead and over 50 injured.  

The blasts took place in the crowded Dilsukhnagar area of the city.

The injured were taken to local hospitals, where many were reportedly in critical condition.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the attack and said the culprits will be punished.

Singh also announced Rs200,000 [Indian Rupee] compensation for the families of the deceased, Rs50,000 for the injured.

Chief Minister Andhra Pradesh said the federal government will assist in investigations.

“Police are directed to take all necessary action to make sure such an incident does not happen again,” he added.

The state government has also announced compensation worth Rs0.6 million for the relatives of the deceased.

It will also bear the cost of treating the injured. Compensation worth Rs50,000 to Rs100,000 will be awarded to them, depending on the severity of the injuries.

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9:20pm

Indian police say Hyderabad blasts were a 'terror attack'.

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9:15pm

The nature of the blasts is not known as yet.

The police officials are unable to clear the blast site completely, where people have gathered to protest against police and the government.

Visits by political leaders have further made it difficult to control the crowd.

Investigation teams have reached the area.

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9:00pm

Police intelligence has miserably failed in Hyderabad, said Indian MP G Vivekanand.

He said nearly 20 people have been killed and over 30 injured are in critical condition.

The MP said the hospitals in the city lack facilities to deal with the sudden influx of injured.

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8:51pm

"We have 18 people dead," a police officer who declined to be named told AFP.

Another senior police officer at the scene of one of the explosions, Amit Garg, put the number of wounded at 52.

Kailash Nath, an officer at the Osmania General Hospital, said nine bodies had arrived at the hospital and 35 people were undergoing surgery.

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8:41pm

"Both blasts took place within a radius of 150 metres," Home Minister Shinde told reporters.

Prime Minister has announced Rs200,000 compensation for the families of the dead, Rs50,000 for the injured.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister is at the site of the blast.

Hyderabad of late has become a hotbed of terrorist activity, BJP leader Naidu said.

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8:40pm

Twitter users in Hyderabad tweeted:

Ripper Was a terrible sight at office, some colleagues who stay in Dilsukhnagar were frantically trying to get through to their loved ones.

Ratnakar Sadasyula ‏ All buses going to Vijayawada from Hyderabad have to pass thru Dilsukhnagar, the area is packed with people always

siva kumar #hyderabadblasts hospitals were overcrowded and power stopped at that place and even mobiles jammed in Dilsukhnagar

Balaji Sridharan RT @ShivAroor: Indian Mujahideen is the top suspect group. Clear modus operandi: NIA & IB sources t

Gaurav Ojha   Please RT Help Numbers : Dhanalaxmi Ambulance Services at Dilshuknagar - [phone], 9963857749, 9440379926

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8:20pm

"We had intelligence reports that there will be blasts anywhere in the state. We try that such incidents do not happen," Minister for State for Home Affairs said.

"Once we gather all evidence then we can make a statement. We cannot make another statement till there is an inquiry made in the matter."



A Times of India photo showing the blast site.

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8:18pm

Police official Anurag Sharma said that 11 casualties are confirmed with 23 people injured. He added that post-blast investigation team of NSG and NI are on their way. "Our men are here to control the situation.”

A lot of onlookers are gathered at the site.

Manmohan Singh's office tweeted: "This is a dastardly attack; the guilty will not go unpunished."

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8:14pm

India home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that he had talked to the chief minister and to his secretary RK Singh and confirmed three blasts.

"Two blasts in Hyderabad near Dilsukhnagar. I have talked to chief minister who said that two blasts in one location where eight people died and a second blast at a second location - where three have died," he said.

“We had information about attacks for two days. But immediately we cannot say anything about it,” he added.

The nature of the blasts was such that the death toll could rise.

There are reports of an unexploded device found at Dilsukh Nagar, Times of India reports.

In 2007, twin blasts in the city killed 40 people.

Helpline number: 040-27853408

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8:05pm

All major Indian cities have now been put on high alert, NDTV reports.

The first explosion happened at 7:01pm, the second five minutes later at 7:06pm and the third a little later.

"Collecting and keeping evidence safe and secure at this time would be extremely difficult,” NDTV reports.

It was a planned terrorist attack in which bombs were planted on cycles, NDTV reports.

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8:00pm

An investigation team of the National Security Guard will depart from Delhi in a short while for Hyderabad, Home Secretary RK Singh said.

Venkiah Naidu, the spokesman for the Bharatya Janata Party has asked the people of Hyderabad to remain calm and to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and local government, NDTV reported.

Naidu said that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was responsible for these blasts and wanted to take revenge for the recent hanging of Afzal Guru.

The Indian government officials are saying that two blasts have been reported to them by the National Investigations Agency (NIA), according to NDTV.

However, the NDTV is itself reporting about three blasts.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister is now at the site.

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7:55pm

The police and officials of the National Investigating Agency (NIA) will arrive at the site shortly, NDTV reported.

Security official are facing difficulties clearing the packed area which has a maze of narrow lanes.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has also taken notice of the bombings and will be visiting the affected areas shortly.

"I can confirm that 12 people have lost their lives and at least 52 people have been injured," Amit Garg, a senior police officer at the scene of one of the explosions, told AFP.

"These were three separate bomb blasts in (the Hyderabad suburb of) Dilsukh Nagar," said Garg.

The Dilsukhnagar area is a large fruits and grocery market which is densely crowded at tis time of the evening, NDTV said.

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7:50pm

There is huge amount of black smoke in the sky over the area, NDTV reported.

One bomb was placed on a cycle and another on a motorbike, Hyderabad MP Akbaduddin Owaisi tells TV channels.

The blasts took place near a popular cinema, an elevated pedestrian bridge and a bus stand in Dilsukhnagar.

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7:47pm

Investigators and senior police would soon be visiting the site, home secretary RK Singh says.

Mobile phone networks have been jammed in and around Dilsukhnagar.

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7:43pm

There have been three blasts and seven people are dead and 47 people have been rushed to hospital with injuries," an official in the police control room told AFP, adding that one of the explosions occurred in a small suburban eatery.

Chief Minister Kiran Kumar has called for an emergency meeting after reports of the blasts.

Preliminary reports suggest that this was bomb timed to timers and not through other means of detonation.

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7:40pm

Sources in Indian Home Ministry say it was a well-planned terrorist attack.

More than 50 people have been shifted to hospitals.

The blasts have caused a traffic jam in the area.

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7:30pm

Three blasts have been confirmed in Hyderabad.

Police have cleared the area.

Other Indian states have also been put on alert.

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7:25pm

Injured have been shifted to local hospitals.

Death toll from the explosion has reached 15.

The area is predominantly occupied by the Hindu community.