Hyderabad Rocked By Twin Bomb Blasts
At least 11 people are dead after two blasts erupted in Hyderabad less than ten minutes apart. According to Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, the bombs were planted on bicycles roughly 500 feet apart. Eight people were killed by one blast while three were killed in the latter. 50 people were injured altogether.
The explosion occurred at night in the Dilsukh Nagar area of Hyderabad, a neighborhood crowded with cinemas, restaurants, shops, and a fruit market. According to Zeenews, the attacks occurred near the Konark theater and Venkatadri movie theater Thursday night.
Officials were aware of the possibility of an attack. Intelligence agencies issued an alert to a couple of states two days prior warning of impending blasts in various locations.
Police are investigating the incident, and India’s Intelligence Bureau has not ruled out any possibilities behind the blasts. The Times of India reports that all of India’s major cities have been put on high alert.
The last major attacks to hit Hyderabad took place in 2007.The New York Times reports that in May, 13 people died in an incident at the Mecca Masjid where 11 people died in a bomb blast followed by a clash between Muslims and the police. Then in August a set of explosions simultaneously ripped through two popular locations in Hyderabad, killing at least 42 people. Police disarmed 19 more bombs in the hours after the blast, which had been planted at bus stops, theaters, bridges, and road intersections.
PM condemns bomb blasts in Dilsukh Nagar, Hyderabad; appeals for calm – pmindia.gov.in/press-details.…
— Dr Manmohan Singh (@PMOIndia) February 21, 2013
Hyderabad is India‘s fourth largest city and the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The city is home to nearly 7 million people and is also the base of India’s Telugu film industry.
[Image via NDTV]
