At least 16 serial blasts in crowded market areas in the space of 20 minutes rocked the Gujarat capital on Saturday evening leaving 26 dead and over 100 injured.
AHMEDABAD: Terror struck Gujarat capital when 16 serial blasts ripped across the city on Saturday evening leaving 26 dead and over 100 injured sending a wave of panic, a day after multiple explosions rocked Bangalore in another BJP-ruled state.
The synchronised explosions in the space of 90 minutes in the eastern and western areas after the first blast hit Maninagar at 6.45 pm occured in 13 places. There were two blasts each in Maninagar--the constituency of Chief Minister Narendra Modi--and in Sarkej targetting a state transport CNG bus and Sangam theatre.
Significantly two hospitals were also the target of attack.
Mangled remains of a bus, cycles, motorcycles and an autorickshaw were seen at the blast sites which was splattered with blood and panic spread as people ran for their lives.
Doctors at Vadilal Sarabhai hospital said 12 people died while there were several seriously injured persons receiving treatment.
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has convened a high level meeting tomorrow morning to review the security situation throughout the country.
Modi condemned the blasts and appealed for calm. His party leader and MP from Gandhinagar L K Advani blamed the Centre and the lack of tough anti-terror laws for the rise in terror activities but would not draw conclusions about two BJP-ruled states-Gujarat and Karnataka--being specifically targeted.
Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta said in New Delhi that National Security Guards(NSG) personnel were being rushed to Ahmedabad where Rapid Action Force(RAF) personnel were already deployed to restore calm in the blast-hit areas some of which are highly sensitive.
The other areas where the blasts occurred at Maninagar, Isanpur, Narol circle, Bapunagar, Hatkeshwar, Sarangpur bridge, Sarkhej, Odhav, Sardar Patel market, Civil hospital, Juhapura, Ambur tower building and Raipur.
The Ahmedabad blasts came a day after the multiple explosions in Bangalore in which two persons were killed.
Police said 35 injured persons were rushed to Vadilal Sarabhai hospital while 25 injured were receiving treatment in LG hospital. Some injured were also in the Civil hospital.
Some of the bombs were placed in tiffin boxes strapped to cycles eerily similar to the Jaipur blasts on May 13 in which 65 persons died.
Television channels claimed they got an e-mail from little known outfit called 'Indian Mujahideen' to say they were responsible for today's blasts. The same outfit had claimed responsibility for the blasts in Jaipur and Uttar Pradesh.
President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and appealed for calm.
One state government CNG bus in which one of the blasts occured was ripped through the middle.
The outer body of the bus was completely smashed while surprisingly most of the seats remained intact including the CNG tank.
Blood was seen splattered inside the bus and near the foot board.
The scene outside the civil hospital was tense with people thronging the place even as ambulances with sirens were seen driving right between them.
"There is heavy traffic jams in areas around Mani Nagar, the CM's constituency where one of the blasts took place Number of ambulances are also seen zipping around," said Udit, a city resident.
Forensic personnel were also rushed to the blast scenes.
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