Two explosions in quick succession in Mumbai on August 25, 2003, are estimated to have killed about 48 innocent civilians. One of these explosions took place near the Gateway of India in the vicinity of the Taj Hotel, a five-star hotel, which attracts many affluent foreign tourists from the world of business, from the West as well as the Gulf.
Many middle class families of the Gulf, who cannot afford a vacation in the West and hence prefer to come to India, also often prefer to stay in this hotel. The second explosion took place in the Zaveri Bazaar, an area with a concentration of jewellers, many of them Gujaratis.
Initial reports indicate that the explosives were probably kept concealed in hired taxis and detonated through timers. The explosives do not appear to have been of high quality. The devastating impact seem to have been achieved by using a large quantity of material commonly available such as ammonium nitrate, which had in the past been used in many of the explosions in different parts of the world in which Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda or the members of his International Islamic Front were found involved or suspected.
Read Full Article »
