TERROR STRIKES HEART OF HYDERABAD

Bodies of victims lie on the ground after two powerful bombs exploded at Dilsukhnagar.  

Two powerful explosions ripped through crowded areas at Dilsukhnagar in the eastern part of the State capital on Thursday (21st Feb 2013) evening, killing 13 persons and injuring more than 83.

The first blast took place at 6.50 p.m. on the city’s busiest road that link it with Vijayawada, and, as terrified people were scampering to safety, the second blast went off.

Authorities say the explosions were caused by improvised explosive devices that could have been kept on bicycles or packed inside frames of bicycles.The twin blasts brought back painful memories of the August 25, 2007 IED attacks in Lumbini Park, in front of the State secretariat, and at Gokul Chat in Kothi that killed 44 people.

Incidentally, one of Thursday’s blasts took place near a crowded foot over-bridge at Dilsukhnagar, where security forces defused an IED five years ago. The device was to go off along with the blasts in Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat.

Eyewitnesses at Anand Tiffin Centre, near the spot where the first blast took place, said someone began shouting about a bomb going off. Even as confused people watched, the blast occurred .Malakpet Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Iqbal, who was passing by in his police vehicle, stopped on hearing the explosion. As he ran towards the blast site, the second IED went off just 50 yards away.

Director General of Police V. Dinesh Reddy has said that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with nitro compound were used in the explosions that killed 13 persons and left 83 injured.

He did not hazard a guess whether RDX was used in the bombs but asserted that they were timed as the two powerful explosions took place within a gap of three minutes and were only hundred yards apart.

Talking to media persons later, Mr. Reddy said the first blast took place at 6.58 p.m. near Konark theatre and the second three minutes later near Venkatadri theatre. The bombs were placed in “rexine” bags and hung to bicycles at both the places. The locations were selected strategically to inflict maximum damage as they were crowded areas.

Mr. Reddy said that it was too premature to suspect the role of any particular group in the blasts. He denied picking up anybody or coming to know of any similarities with earlier explosions at Lumbini Park or Gokul Chat in 2007.

A high alert was sounded across the State and the Centre dispatched rapid action force personnel to deal with the situation. A post-energy blast team that specializes in tackling this kind of blasts, also left New Delhi for Hyderabad. The investigation was being handed over to the National Investigation Agency, he said.

The DGP appealed to the people not to panic as the police were fully geared to meet the situation. He hoped there would be a breakthrough in investigation soon. He also said the Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh and IB chief Asif Ibrahim were in constant touch with him.