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American Morning

Bombings Kill Dozens in Mumbai

Aired August 26, 2003 - 08:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: In India today security forces are on high alert a day after twin bombings in the country's financial capital killed dozens.
CNN's Ram Ramgopal has the story this morning from Mumbai.

RAM RAMGOPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A funeral for Mohammed Sadek (ph), a small-time businessman killed inside his footwear store.

The taxi bomb went off right outside his shop in a crowded bazaar. Sadek's (ph) family is left wondering how they'll cope with the loss of their main breadwinner.

Mohammed Shaqil Ahmed (ph), his brother, is stunned. The attacks were not about religion, he says. "Whoever has done this, it's terrorism, he says, whether it's a Hindu killed or a Muslim killed, we've all suffered."

Outside the historic Taj Mahal Hotel, near the gateway of India built in British colonial times, cars lie wrecked. Metal torn apart by the powerful blast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank God I was not in the bedroom, but I was in the main living room and I saw from there outside the bodies were lying, whether they were bodies or injured, but quite a few people were injured, obviously. And I saw this taxi's intact top was actually flown and it landed in front of the hotel here.

RAMGOPAL: Police in Mumbai say the explosions were the work of what they call Jihadi elements, Islamic militants waging war against the Indian state. They did not name the groups likely to have carried out the attacks, nor were there claims of responsibility.

Tensions between majority Hindus and minority Muslims have been on the rise for several years in secular India.

In the city's hospitals, doctors struggle to cope with the flood of trauma cases. Kalam Rasul (ph), one of those seriously injured, is father of three. We ask him, would he leave Mumbai because it has gotten unsafe?

"I've lived here all my life," he replies. "I've worked 35 years in the same store, where do I go?"

(on camera) As the investigation continues into the twin blasts, security has been tightened across the city of 13 million people. As bad as this day has been the police are apprehensive that this might get worse, that heightened religious tensions might spiral into violence.

Ram Ramgopal, CNN, Mumbai, India.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 26, 2003 - 08:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: In India today security forces are on high alert a day after twin bombings in the country's financial capital killed dozens.
CNN's Ram Ramgopal has the story this morning from Mumbai.

RAM RAMGOPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A funeral for Mohammed Sadek (ph), a small-time businessman killed inside his footwear store.

The taxi bomb went off right outside his shop in a crowded bazaar. Sadek's (ph) family is left wondering how they'll cope with the loss of their main breadwinner.

Mohammed Shaqil Ahmed (ph), his brother, is stunned. The attacks were not about religion, he says. "Whoever has done this, it's terrorism, he says, whether it's a Hindu killed or a Muslim killed, we've all suffered."

Outside the historic Taj Mahal Hotel, near the gateway of India built in British colonial times, cars lie wrecked. Metal torn apart by the powerful blast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank God I was not in the bedroom, but I was in the main living room and I saw from there outside the bodies were lying, whether they were bodies or injured, but quite a few people were injured, obviously. And I saw this taxi's intact top was actually flown and it landed in front of the hotel here.

RAMGOPAL: Police in Mumbai say the explosions were the work of what they call Jihadi elements, Islamic militants waging war against the Indian state. They did not name the groups likely to have carried out the attacks, nor were there claims of responsibility.

Tensions between majority Hindus and minority Muslims have been on the rise for several years in secular India.

In the city's hospitals, doctors struggle to cope with the flood of trauma cases. Kalam Rasul (ph), one of those seriously injured, is father of three. We ask him, would he leave Mumbai because it has gotten unsafe?

"I've lived here all my life," he replies. "I've worked 35 years in the same store, where do I go?"

(on camera) As the investigation continues into the twin blasts, security has been tightened across the city of 13 million people. As bad as this day has been the police are apprehensive that this might get worse, that heightened religious tensions might spiral into violence.

Ram Ramgopal, CNN, Mumbai, India.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com