NEWS

'It seems terrorists knew how we would react'

By Krishnakumar P
September 13, 2008 21:50 IST

Greater Kailash:  Half an hour after two bombs exploded in the M-Block market in Greater Kailash-I, people were still exiting the market, some with blank expressions in their face and some visibly shaken and wide-eyed disbelief.

Multiple blasts rock Delhi

Two blasts went off in the crowded market. The first one, which eyewitnesses say was placed in a dustbin in the narrow parking lot in front of shop number 9, went off at 6:30 pm.

"I was inside my shop when I heard the explosion. I came out of my shop and all the shop owners and the public ran to one side, just as we all gathered near the corner, the second blast went off in the same direction where we were headed," said Arpreet Arora, who owns a shop in the market.

Terrorists have accomplished Operation BAD

It was shopkeepers like Arora, who were at the forefront on Saturday. Said another: "It was crazy! It seemed like the terrorists knew how we would react. I directed most of the people to get to one side of the market [a square with buildings on the outer sides.] even as we were getting there, another blast went off that side and we all rushed this side.

"We then waited for a few minutes and then sent out the people through the other side. Soon the police arrived and streamlined everything," he said.

Indian Mujahideen claims responsibility

The second blast, which took place around 6:40 pm, was placed near a popular pan shop, Prince.

"When I heard the blast, I shut my shop and began gathering my stuff. Even before I was done with it, another blast went off right in front of me. There was a blinding flash and a deafening noise. I thought I had lost my hearing," said Sagar Sharma, of Prince Pan.

View: Why terrorists attack soft targets

Sharma said the bomb might have been placed in a corner where shopkeepers usually dump empty cartons and card board boxes before they are collectively disposed.

"I couldn't say for sure, but it looked like the bomb was placed among the boxes. It couldn't have been the scooter or the car," he said, pointing to the mangled remains of a Bajaj Chetak and continued: "Because when I saw the flash, I could see the scooter on one side and the Maruti car on the other side. It certainly was in between," he said.

Investigators say Indian Mujahideen is SIMI, V2.0

Arora said from what he and his fellow shop owners saw, there weren't any serious injuries to anyone.

"I did see smears of blood on one car, but mostly, the people got away with minor injuries," he said.

The police also credited the market association. "We had conducted quite a few drills and the market association must be commended for acting so quickly and efficiently," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) HGS Dhaliwal.

Eyewitness account: Five feet from death

Dhaliwal added that at first sight, the bombs were low intensity ones designed to create panic more than kill people.

"There are no casualties and even those who were hurt in these two blasts sustained only minor injuries. Though we cant say anything about the nature of the explosives or whether timer devices were used, we can confirm that these are low intensity blasts," he said.

Krishnakumar P

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