Date: 12 March 1993

Location: Bombay (Mumbai), India

Type of event: terrorism

Description:

A series of bombings occurred in Bombay, India. At 1:30 PM a powerful car bomb exploded in the basement of the Mumbai Stock Exchange building in Bombay, India. The 28-story office building housing the exchange was set on fire and many nearby office buildings were also severely damaged. About 50 were killed by this explosion. Thirty minutes later, another car bomb exploded elsewhere in Bombay, and from 1:30 PM to 3:50 PM a total of 13 bombs exploded throughout the city of Bombay. All the bombs used RDX explosive; most were car bombs, while some were in scooters. A bomb on a bus killed 80. Three hotels were struck by suitcase bombs left in rooms booked by the terrorists: Hotel Sea Rock, Hotel Juhu Centaur, and Hotel Airport Centaur (this bomb at 3:50 PM killed 2). Other targets included banks, government offices, an airline office (Air-India Building), and a major shopping complex. Specific sites struck included Zaveri Bazar, Century Bazar, Katha Bazar, Shiv Sena Bhawan, Plaza Theatre, Nair Hospital, J. J. Hospital, and Bombay University. The jeep-bomb at the Century Bazar exploded prematurely, foiling a plot by the departing group of terrorists to conduct an additional attack with automatic weapons. The bombing at Shiv Sena Bhawan caused no injuries. Hand grenades were thrown at Sahar International Airport and at Fishermen's Colony, apparently targeting Hindus at the latter.

Official casualty counts were 257 killed and 713 injured; other sources reported 317 killed and 1,400 injured. Two days later a pair of unexploded bombs were found and defused near a rail station. A local Muslim organized crime family was blamed; the Indian government has concluded that Pakistan is sheltering some of those responsible. By April 88 had been arrested; on 30 June 1995 India placed 124 accused conspirators on trial, eventually trying about 200; on 20 February 2003 India arrested two more men accused of being gang leaders behind the attack.

Consequences: 317 killed, 1,400 injured

References:

• "Bombay Bomb Blast Cases," Central Bureau of Investigation (India), on line [http://cbi.nic.in/bblast.htm].
• "Bombay Bombing Wave," Kukui Roadhouse, on line [http://www.mahk.com/sc472.htm].
• "A Decade After the Mumbai Blasts," India Travel Times, on line [http://www.indiatraveltimes.com/week/week_19.html].
• Lakdawala, M. H., "Serial bomb blast story," Milli Gazette, on line [http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/15092001/34.htm].
• Mickolus, Edward F., and Susan L. Simmons, Terrorism, 1992-1995: A Chronology of Events and a Selectively Annotated Bibliography, 1997, Greenwood Press (Westport, CT).
• Nixon Center, "Study Group: Seminar on Megaterrorism," 6 Feb. 1996, Nixon Center for Peace and Freedom, on line.
• Robb, "Senate Resolution 278--Relating to Pakistan," 7 Oct. 1994, Global Security, on line [http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/congress/1994_cr/s941007-terror-pak.htm].

© 2017 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 26 November 2017.
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