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Subscribe to RSSTwo bombs explode in a shopping are of Hyderabad, India, killing at least 11 people and wounding dozens more in what officials are calling the worst bombing in India in more than a year. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
HYDERABAD, India -- A pair of bombs exploded Thursday evening in a crowded shopping area in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, killing at least 11 people and wounding 50 more in the worst bombing in the country in more than a year, officials said.
The blasts occurred about two minutes apart outside a movie theater and a bus station, police said. Storefronts were shattered and television footage showed the wounded being rushed to hospitals.
"This is a dastardly attack, the guilty will not go unpunished," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said. He appealed to the public to remain calm.
The bombs were attached to two bicycles about 150 meters (500 feet) apart in the district of Dilsukh Nagar, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said. The district is a usually crowded shopping area near a residential neighborhood.
Eight people died in one explosion and three in the other, Shinde told reporters in the Indian capital of New Delhi.
Mahesh Kumar, a 21-year-old student, was heading home from a tutoring class when a bomb went off.
"I heard a huge sound and something hit me, I fell down, and somebody brought me to the hospital," said Kumar, who suffered shrapnel wounds.
Hyderabad, a city of 10 million, is a hub of India's information technology industry and has a mixed population of Muslims and Hindus.
An injured person is attended to at a hospital after a bomb blast in Hyderabad, India, on Feb. 21. A pair of bombs exploded Thursday evening in a crowded shopping area in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, killing several people and wounding many in the worst bombing in the country in more than a year, officials said.
The explosions Thursday were the first major bomb attack to hit India since a September 2011 blast outside the High Court in New Delhi killed 13 people. The government has been heavily criticized for its failure to arrest the masterminds behind previous bombings.
Home Secretary R.K. Singh said officials from the National Investigation Agency and commandos of the National Security Guards were leaving New Delhi for Hyderabad.
India has been in a state of alert since Mohammed Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri, was hanged in a New Delhi jail nearly two weeks ago. Guru had been convicted of involvement in a 2001 attack on India's Parliament that killed 14 people, including five gunmen.
Many in Indian-ruled Kashmir believe Guru did not receive a fair trial, and the secrecy with which the execution was carried out fueled anger in a region where anti-India sentiment runs deep.
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Sad to happen, even more sad, many companies outsource to this city in India despite knowing the chaotic relations in the city between Muslims and Hindus. This should be a wake up call for Foreign companies outsourcing to this city for cheap labor that this city is NOT a suitable place for "outsourcing"
yeah im sure less jobs in this region would definitely make the place an even better place to live? are you kidding me do you really think outsourcing is the problem...?
Never stated outsourcing IS the Problem, rather I stated outsoucing to a city with ALREADY KNOWN voilent stiff between Muslims and Hindus is putting client's assets and client's private personal information in such an unstable city as very unwise will lead to unwanted problems that obviously ALREADY EXIST in the city. Sometimes outsource for the cheapest is not always the best option, Hydrabad, India is a classic example of this.
It is quite possible this is another example of Pakistan sponsored terrorism.
I am surprised that you have no sympathy for the victims of the blast.
You clearly have an agenda, my friend.
So you are Pakistan bashing, assuming was Pakistan, when we all know the strife between Hindus and Muslims that already exist in Hyderabad even before the creation of Pakistan. You claim that I have "no sympathy" yet I stated "sad to happen", yet you stated nothing as such, only blamed Pakistan BEFORE the evidence.
too many idiots in this world
Once again, terrorists don't really have a reason. They only want to kill people, and a market and bus station is as good a place as any for these murderers. All terrorists should be summarily executed, rather than imprisoned, since they seldom supply any actionable intelligence, and when released just go back to killing people, especially in ignorant and superstitious countries like India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, Syria and Detroit.
"ignorant and superstitious countries like India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, Syria and Detroit." That is news to me, never knew Detroit was a country. If yes, Michigan would have been celebrating getting rid of such a corrupt run city. Most in the UP of MI would like to be their own state as long as Detriot remains a part of the state. Stop celebrating all you from MI, Detriot did NOT leave the state to become a country.
As an American who has been involved with outsourcing in Hyderabad, I can tell you that I have never sensed widespread instability between the Muslims, Hindi and Christians who live together in this City. I have traveled there twice and was scheduled to travel there again in less than two weeks. The outsourcing engagement we have includes a mix of Muslim, Hindi, and Christians all working together in a highly collaborative effort.
I have walked Charmina, a large muslim marketplace, and as the only fair-haired, fair skinned person in a sea of thousands, I never felt threatened, just a curiousity. The Hindi culture believes that a guest is God, and that is exactly how I have been treated on each of my trips, by both Hindi and Muslims. The level of hospitality that is bestowed upon guest is unlike anything I have ever experienced. So while you may want to lable people as superstitious or ignorant, there are things we could learn from them.
My heart goes out to the fine people I have had the pleasure to get to know on my trips, and I pray for them as they come to grips with this cowardly act.
I hope you are NOT sending your client's personal information such as SS#. DOB and personal data in your "outsourcing". One does not like their personal mail and info ending up across the street of their neighbor, I am sure people do not like their personal data "outsourced" outside the jurisdiction of their country. Identity Theft within one's country's borders is bad enough, even worse if the Identity Theft is taking outside our jurisdiction for the sake of cheaper (and yes, LESS quality) labor.
@rfritchjr,
Well said.
Thanks :)
Kurt,
It is clear you are either paranoid or wildly misinformed. In over ten years of working with our partners in Hyderabad, we have not had a single security breach. I'm not so naive to believe this doesn't happen, but I'm also not so naive to believe it doesn't also happen right here at home. If you set up the proper security protocol, create the divisions of information, and closely manage usage, you can avoid the types of issues you mention.
The security of personal information is no different in India than it is anywhere else. If you don't think that people here in the states are any more likely to sell personal information for personal gain, you are sadly mistaken. Opportunists are equal opportunity. They don't obey race, religion or geographic borders.
As far as less qualified labor, I can tell you that with no uncertainty, that the folks in India are qualified and perform at levels equal to or better than what was achieved when the work was done on-shore. Before you paint me as a liberal, I am as disappointed as anyone to see jobs leave the US and truth be told, was resistant to it at first. The fact is, that we live in a global economy and we can act like turtles and pull our heads inside our shells, or we can find ways to use that to our advantage.
You are very lucky then rfr, I happen to work for a company that outsources its work to Hyderabad. I am CONSTANTLY correcting and covering their mistakes due to poor quality. I am sure if our clients knew if sent mailings with all their personal information was being forward to India via Global Imaging Systems, they would be outrage. You are not humble enough to admit, the only reason you are outsourcing is for cheap labor at the expense of quality of work and security of personal confidential information. This is NOT about Conservative/Liberal nor Global Economy, this is about respect to our client's personal information being confidential and done WHERE they sent their mailings. We can have a Global Economy without compromising our client's personal information. Sorry that you think cheap labor is more important guarding the personal information by keeping it within the juristiction of the country they reside in.
To Kurt,
It is not a one way street. American companies are allowed access into the lucrative Indian market. There are over 400 million middle class consumers there.
Believe me, Western companies, whether they are American, British, German, etc.--are "chomping at the bit"---they can't wait to get a piece of the Indian market.
I think the British Prime Minister is in India now--he wants to get contracts for British firms, since India needs to spend about one trillion on infrastructure projects over the next ten years.
As far as the other point ---99.9% of Indians are decent, law-abiding, family-oriented folks.
Never mention about a "one way street" nor never mention about any trade restrictions. What I did mention is the lack of respect of outsourcing client's personal confidential information. I personally know of identity theft due to outsourcing for personal data. Bad enough to have Identity theft done within one's own jurisdiction, it is yet a larger pain if done by someone outside the jurisdiction of your court systems. Of course, wiseone, easy for you say lambast my concerns ...until... hopefully not... you are a victim of Indenity Theft due to outsouring of work that includes your own private personal information.
Companies over there carefully screen their employees, just like they do here. Background searches are done, fingerprints are checked, and references are tracked down. Even the family background is looked at. Academic credentials are verified. You have no idea how careful employers are. Even if you owned a private limo or taxi service, you would check each employee's background with a fine tooth comb. Over there, it is a situation where an employee can be "fired at will"... this means that employees walk on eggshells, and would never dream of doing the wrong thing. A job is more than money--it is a badge of honor.
terrible tragedy