2006 Mumbai train bombings
The 2006 Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts on 11 July. They took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the nation's financial capital. The bombs were set off in pressure cookers on trains plying on the Western Line Suburban Section of the Mumbai Division of Western Railway. The blasts killed 209 people and injured over 700 more.
| 2006 Mumbai train bombings | |
|---|---|
One of the bomb-damaged coaches at the Mahim station | |
| Location | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Date | 11 July 2006 18:24 – 18:35 (UTC+05:30) |
| Target | Mumbai Western Line |
Attack type | Train bombings |
| Weapons | Pressure cooker bombs |
| Deaths | 209 |
| Injured | Approximately 714 |
| Motive | Terrorism |
| Accused | Faisal Sheikh, Asif Khan, Kamal Ansari, Ehtesham Sidduqui and Naveed Khan |
Pressure cookers were used in the bombing and other attacks to increase the afterburn in a thermobaric reaction, more powerful than conventional high explosives. The first blast reportedly took place at 18:24 IST (12:54 UTC), and the explosions continued until 18:35, during the after-work rush hour. All the bombs had been placed in the first-class "general" compartments of several trains running from Churchgate, the city-centre end of the western railway line, to the western suburbs of the city. They exploded at or in the near vicinity of the suburban railway stations of Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar and Borivali. Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters that authorities had "some" information an attack was coming, "but place and time was not known".