Remembering 2011 Mumbai bombings: 13/7 Mumbai attack revisited

Representative Image. File Photo

The 2011 Mumbai bombings, also known as 13/7, were a series of coordinated bomb explosions at different locations in Mumbai, India, on July 13, 2011. Thirteen years ago, three powerful bomb blasts struck the financial capital city during the evening rush hour.

1. The first explosion at 6.54 pm was in the crowded, bustling Zaveri bazaar, a British-era market packed with hundreds of gold and jewellery shops. The second, a minute later, was at the Opera House, which has become a major hub for India's prosperous diamond exporters. The third blast at 7.05 pm hit the central Mumbai neighbourhood of Dadar at the Kabutar Khana (Pigeon House) junction, where businessmen on their way to the railway station often stop to feed grains.

2. The attack involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted at these locations.

3. 26 people were killed and 130 were injured in the bombings.

4. The Indian Mujahideen, a terrorist group, is believed to have carried out the attack. Yasin Bhatkal, the co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen, was personally involved.

5. Phone lines were jammed, and communication ceased after the blasts. Other cities like Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore were put on high alert.

6. The Mumbai Police sent an SMS to mobile users, warning about the blasts. Injured individuals were rushed to hospitals like J.J. Hospital and St. George Hospital.

7. Had the 'Panchratna Housing Society' and 'Prasad Chambers' (where most victims were from the diamond industry) been attacked, it would have caused a huge financial loss as the two buildings housed safety vaults where diamonds worth crores were kept. Meanwhile, Zaveri Bazaar, which was affected by the blast, was home to many goldsmiths.

8. A probe was launched in connection with the attacks. The main accused, Yasin Bhatkal, a co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen, a banned terrorist organization, was arrested in 2013. Bhatkal, along with other accomplices, was alleged to be the mastermind behind the bombings.

Mumbai had faced several terrorist incidents since the early 1990s, with over 600 people losing their lives, including the deadliest 26/11 attack and the attacks in 1993, 2003, 2006, and 2011.