Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram described Mumbai Bomb Blasts as a well 'coordinated attack by terrorists'. While addressing mediapersons Chidambaram confirmed 3 blasts, 17 deaths and 131 injured, but feared that the death toll could go up. He appealed people to remain calm and maintain peace. He said the National Security Guard (NSG) hub in Mumbai, set up in the wake of 26/11 terror attack in the city in 2008, has been put on standby.

The attacks were the worst terror strike in the country since the siege of Mumbai (26/11/2009) that killed 166 people 31 months ago, and government officials struggled to reassure Indians over their safety.

"I want to assure everyone both in India and outside, that India will continue to work and grow and prosper," Home Minister P Chidambaram said at a news conference Thursday after an emergency security meeting.

No one has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's bombings, which shook three separate neighborhoods within minutes of each other during the busy evening rush hour. The attack came just months after peace talks resumed between India and Pakistan. Indian officials have so far refused to speculate who might be behind the blasts. "We are not pointing a finger at this stage," Chidambaram said. "We have to look at every possible hostile group and find out whether they are behind the blast."

A steady morning drizzle washed away bloodstains and threatened evidence at the site of the attacks, which ripped off storefronts, shredded a bus stop and left bodies strewn in the dirt of Mumbai's crowded neighborhoods and market. Investigators covered the blast sites with plastic sheets to protect the evidence, police officer Shailesh Kadam said.
 

Chidambaram To The Location Of Bomb Blasts In Mumbai

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