1993 Mumbai bombings

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The 1993 Mumbai bombings were a series of bomb explosions that took place in Mumbai (Bombay), India on March 12, 1993. The attacks were the most destructive and coordinated bomb explosions in the country's history.

Contents

Background

In December 1992 and January 1993 there was widespread rioting in Mumbai following the demolition of the Babri Masjid by militant Hindu groups in Ayodhya.

The last week of December 1992 and first week of January 1993, particularly between the 1st and 5th, saw a series of stabbing incidents in which both Hindus and Muslims were victims, though the majority of such incidents took place in Muslim-dominated areas of South Mumbai and a majority of victims were Hindu. Huge meetings were held which were addressed by leaders of Mathadi Unions. Speeches were made during this meeting to condemn the police and Government for their ineffectiveness with exhortations that Hindus might have to pick up swords to defend themselves.

These stabbings and tit-for-tat religious killings created a tense atmosphere between Hindus and Muslims and encouraged extermist groups to further the violence.

The bombings

At 1:30 PM a powerful car bomb exploded in the basement of the Bombay Stock Exchange building. The 28-story office building housing the exchange was severely damaged, and many nearby office buildings also suffered some damage. About 50 were killed by this explosion. About 30 minutes later, another car bomb exploded elsewhere in the city, and from 1:30 PM to 3:40 PM a total of 13 bombs exploded throughout Bombay. Most of the bombs were car bombs, but some were in scooters.

Three hotels, the Hotel Sea Rock, Hotel Juhu Centaur, and Hotel Airport Centaur, were targeted by suitcase bombs left in rooms booked by the perpetrators. Banks, the regional passport office, hotels, an airline office (the Air India Building), and a major shopping complex were also hit. Bombs exploded at Zaveri Bazar, Century Bazar, Katha Bazar, Shiv Sena Bhawan, and Plaza Theatre. A jeep-bomb at the Century Bazar exploded early, thwarting another attack. Grenades were also thrown at Sahar International Airport and at Fishermen's Colony, apparently targeting Hindus at the latter. A double decker bus was very badly damaged in one of the explosions and that single incident accounted for the greatest loss of life - perhaps upto ninety people were killed.

Aftermath

The official number of dead was 257 dead with 1,400 others injured (some news sources say 317 people died; this is due to a bomb killing 60 in Calcutta on March 17). Several days later, unexploded car bombs were discovered at a railway station. Islamic terrorist groups based in Pakistan were suspected to be responsible for these bombings, and evidence uncovered pointed to the involvement of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Many hundreds of people, predominantly Muslim, have been arrested and detained in Indian courts and are undergoing or awaiting trial. So far, no convictions have resulted twelve years after the blasts

More than ten years later, on August 25, 2003, two large bombs left in taxis exploded in south Mumbai - the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar in the busy Kalbadevi area - killing 52 people and wounding more than a hundred others. India blamed two Islamic militant groups, Jaish-e-Mohammed or Lashkar-e-Toiba, for the attacks.

External links

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