Terror blasts in New Delhi kill 55
Muslim Terrorists blamed for pre-festival marketplace attacks
Saturday, October 29, 2005; Posted: 6:36 p.m. EDT (22:36 GMT)
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Explosions ripped through three places in New Delhi on Saturday evening within minutes of each other, killing at least 55 people -- most of them at a marketplace crowded with thousands of people getting ready for India's festival of lights, the state of Delhi's chief minister Sheila Dikshit told CNN.
She said at least 31 people died at the Sarojini Nagar marketplace in central Delhi and the others were killed at the Paharganj marketplace, both packed with people preparing for the Hindu holiday of Diwali, India's largest festival.
Police reported that the blasts wounded 155 people. (Watch a report on the explosions -- 2:18 )
While it is not clear what caused the blasts, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office said he believes it was a terrorist attack.
"This kind of cynical attack on the people of India is just not acceptable," Singh's media adviser, Sanjay Baru, told CNN.
No group has claimed responsibility.
"It's a very sad day for all of us because Delhi is celebrating a festive season," Dikshit said.
Authorities said there were explosions at three locations, and the reported deaths happened at two marketplaces, Dikshit said. It was unclear where the third blast detonated. (A look at where the blasts happened)
Witness: Bag exploded
A man who owns a store near the Sarojini Nagar market told CNN's Satinder Bindra that he noticed an abandoned bag sitting near his store and warned people to get away. As people scattered, the owner said the bag exploded, gutting several nearby stores and causing a fire that spread to other buildings.
The explosion caused a stampede as people in the crowded market tried to get away.
Authorities said bodies are still being pulled from the debris, and they fear the death toll will rise.
Many women and children sustained serious injuries.
The blasts triggered fears throughout the capital, shattering some of the festive atmosphere that precedes Diwali.
Fireworks are often set off in advance of Diwali, so many people who heard the blasts initially thought they were firecrackers.
Authorities urged people not to panic and to stay away from crowded areas.
Indian authorities had issued some warnings in advance of Diwali, saying people should beware of the possibility of violence. Such warnings have become standard in recent years, and there were no warnings of specific attacks being planned.
While Indian authorities are blaming terrorists for Saturday's attack, they are not saying if a particular group is believed to be responsible.
Pakistan's foreign office issued a statement condemning the attack, calling it a criminal act of terrorism, and expressing the government's sympathies with the people of India.
Delhi was the site of a deadly parliament attack in December 2001, blamed on Islamic militant groups backed by Pakistan, although Hindu-Muslim tensions are normally centered in the disputed region of Kashmir.
Saturday, October 29, 2005; Posted: 6:36 p.m. EDT (22:36 GMT)
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Explosions ripped through three places in New Delhi on Saturday evening within minutes of each other, killing at least 55 people -- most of them at a marketplace crowded with thousands of people getting ready for India's festival of lights, the state of Delhi's chief minister Sheila Dikshit told CNN.
She said at least 31 people died at the Sarojini Nagar marketplace in central Delhi and the others were killed at the Paharganj marketplace, both packed with people preparing for the Hindu holiday of Diwali, India's largest festival.
Police reported that the blasts wounded 155 people. (Watch a report on the explosions -- 2:18 )
While it is not clear what caused the blasts, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office said he believes it was a terrorist attack.
"This kind of cynical attack on the people of India is just not acceptable," Singh's media adviser, Sanjay Baru, told CNN.
No group has claimed responsibility.
"It's a very sad day for all of us because Delhi is celebrating a festive season," Dikshit said.
Authorities said there were explosions at three locations, and the reported deaths happened at two marketplaces, Dikshit said. It was unclear where the third blast detonated. (A look at where the blasts happened)
Witness: Bag exploded
A man who owns a store near the Sarojini Nagar market told CNN's Satinder Bindra that he noticed an abandoned bag sitting near his store and warned people to get away. As people scattered, the owner said the bag exploded, gutting several nearby stores and causing a fire that spread to other buildings.
The explosion caused a stampede as people in the crowded market tried to get away.
Authorities said bodies are still being pulled from the debris, and they fear the death toll will rise.
Many women and children sustained serious injuries.
The blasts triggered fears throughout the capital, shattering some of the festive atmosphere that precedes Diwali.
Fireworks are often set off in advance of Diwali, so many people who heard the blasts initially thought they were firecrackers.
Authorities urged people not to panic and to stay away from crowded areas.
Indian authorities had issued some warnings in advance of Diwali, saying people should beware of the possibility of violence. Such warnings have become standard in recent years, and there were no warnings of specific attacks being planned.
While Indian authorities are blaming terrorists for Saturday's attack, they are not saying if a particular group is believed to be responsible.
Pakistan's foreign office issued a statement condemning the attack, calling it a criminal act of terrorism, and expressing the government's sympathies with the people of India.
Delhi was the site of a deadly parliament attack in December 2001, blamed on Islamic militant groups backed by Pakistan, although Hindu-Muslim tensions are normally centered in the disputed region of Kashmir.
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