Delhi police defuse train bombs

Delhi police defuse train bombs

Part of the train's roof was blown off

Indian police have defused six bombs at a train station in the capital, Delhi.

The devices were found a day after a bomb on a train killed 11 people in India's commercial centre, Bombay (Mumbai).

Security in both cities has been increased to prevent further attacks.

No one knows who was behind the attacks.

Police cautious

Delhi police say the bombs they defused were crude devices. No timing devices were attached to the explosives.

BOMBAY BLASTS

Jan 2003 - 30 injured in market blast

Dec 2002 - 23 injured in blast at McDonald's outlet

Dec 2002 - 2 killed in bus blast

Mar 1993 - More than 250 killed in serial blasts

A passenger spotted the bombs in a plastic bag near a taxi stand.

Delhi was already on high alert following Thursday's blast in Bombay on a train carriage reserved for women passengers.

Police are being cautious about attributing blame for the explosion, although they have linked it to a bomb blast in a Bombay suburb three months ago.

This is the fourth bomb blast in Bombay in recent months and comes 10 years after the city was hit by serial bombings.

Those attacks were widely blamed on Muslim groups thought to be involved in criminal activities in Bombay.

Checking commuters

Railway stations, airports and other vulnerable areas in Bombay have come under a security blanket and police check-points are in place elsewhere.

I saw police helping passengers smeared in blood out of the train

Eyewitness

"We have started checking bags and frisking commuters at local stations," police official ST Jadhav said.

Bombay commuters are frightened and are being extra vigilant.

"I am nervous about travelling by train now," says BN Pandey who commutes by train everyday.

"But what can I do? I can't sit at home in fear."

Bomb experts and firefighters are examining the wreckage for traces of the explosive and other forensic evidence.

'Roof blown off'

The explosion happened in the busy Mulund station during the evening rush hour.

Police in Delhi check passengers

One of the passengers on the train was Kirit Somaiya, a politician in the Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

"Part of the roof has been blown off," he told the private Aaj Tak television station soon after the blast.

Another witness, Pratiksha Naik, went to the scene just after the blast.

"I saw police helping passengers smeared in blood out of the train," she said according to the Associated Press.

Hundreds of relatives gathered at hospitals where the injured had been taken.

Laxmikant Patnaik's sister Rena was one of the fatalities.

"My sister was supposed to get married on Sunday, now she is no more. I can't understand why this happened," AP quoted him as saying.

Protection

Bombay has been the target of bomb attacks in several instances in the recent past.

In January, about 30 people were injured by a bomb blast in a Bombay market.

In December, a bomb on a city bus killed two people and injured about 30 others.

The authorities responded to that attack by ordering the setting up of a force of crack commandos who could respond at short notice to emergencies in the city.

Shortly afterwards, 23 were injured in a blast at a food court housing a McDonald's outlet.

It has never been clear who carried out these attacks.