The 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the nation's financial capital. The bombs were set off in pressure cookers on trains plying on the western line of the Suburban Railway network. 209 people lost their lives and over 700 were injured. According to Mumbai Police, the bombings were carried out by Lashkar-e-Toiba and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).[1]
Contents [hide] 1 Details 2 Injuries and fatalities 3 Response 3.1 Resumption of services and return to normality 3.2 Rescue and relief operations 3.3 Sources of information 4 Impact 4.1 Heightened security measures 4.2 Setback for the India-Pakistan peace process 4.3 Statements in response 4.4 Memorial service 5 Investigation 5.1 Arrests 5.2 Forced confessions 5.3 Muslim reaction to the arrests 5.4 Investigation updates 6 References 7 See also 8 External links
[edit] Details
Map showing the 'Western line' and blast locations.Pressure cookers with a 2.5kg mixture of RDX and ammonium nitrate in each,[2] were placed on trains plying on the western line of the suburban ("local") train network, which forms the backbone of the city's transport network. Pressure cookers have been used in this bombing and other recent explosions[3][4][5] to increase the afterburn in a thermobaric reaction,more powerful than conventional high explosives.[6] The first blast reportedly took place at 18:24 IST (12:54 UTC), and the explosions continued for approximately eleven minutes, until 18:35,[7] during the after-work rush hour. All the bombs had been placed in the first-class "general" compartments (some compartments are reserved for women, called "ladies" compartments) of several trains running from Churchgate, the city-centre end of the western railway line, to the western suburbs of the city. They exploded at or in the near vicinity of the suburban railway stations of Matunga Road, Mahim, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar and Borivali.[8][9] Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters that authorities had "some" information an attack was coming, "but place and time was not known".[10]
The bomb attacks in Mumbai came hours after a series of grenade attacks in Srinagar, the largest city in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Home Secretary V K Duggal said there was no link between the Srinagar and Mumbai bomb blasts.[11]
[edit] Injuries and fatalities 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings Confirmed casualties Train Blast location Carriage type Time (IST) Deaths Injured Sources Travelling north from Churchgate Khar Road - Santacruz First Class 18:24 17:50 Fast Local Churchgate-Borivali Bandra - Khar Road First Class 18:24 17:37 Slow Local Churchgate-Borivali Jogeshwari (PF #1) First Class 18:25 17:54 Fast Local Churchgate-Borivali Mahim Junction (PF #3) First Class 18:26 Travelling north from Churchgate Mira Road - Bhayandar First Class 18:29 17:57 Fast Local Churchgate-Virar Matunga Road - Mahim Junction First Class 18:30 17:37 Fast Local Churchgate-Virar Borivali 1 First Class 18:35 Total 11 minutes 209 714 [1] 1 One bomb exploded at this location, but another one was found by police and defused.[7]
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R. R. Patil confirmed that a total of 200 people were killed and another 714 others have been injured.[12] Additionally, various news organisations have reported that at least 200 people have died and that more than 700 others have been injured.[13][14][15][16][17] A week after the blasts in Mumbai the confirmed death toll rose to 207.[18] In September 2006 it was confirmed that the death toll had risen to 209.[19]
[edit] Response 11 July 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings
Articles Reactions Investigations See also Mumbai Suburban Railway This box: view • talk • edit A state of high alert was declared in India's major cities. Both the airports in Mumbai were placed on high alert. The western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network was at first shut down, although some trains resumed service later, and stringent security arrangements, including frisking and searching of commuters, were instituted on the other lines of the network. The city's bus service, the BEST, pressed extra buses into service to transport stranded commuters home.[20]
