NEW DELHI: At least 12 people have been killed in a blast in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad on Thursday. Police confirmed to Bikyanews.com on Friday early morning that the two bomb blasts have left over 80 people injured, some in critical condition. “We are still trying to make sense of what happened and see if there are any people still stuck,” said a police official, who was not authorized to speak to the media. The blasts struck 10 minutes apart on Thursday near a crowded cinema and bus station, rocking the city. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged punishment of those responsible for the “dastardly act,” which came with the nation on alert after the recent hanging of a separatist unleashed protests in the Muslim-majority region of Kashmir. The bombs targeted a mainly Hindu district in Hyderabad, a southern hub of India's computing industry which has a large Muslim population. It is believed that one of the explosions went off as people were leaving the cinema, reported Sohail Rahman, Al Jazeera's South Asia correspondent. He said quoting local media that as many as 15 people might have died while the injured were being taken to nearby hospitals. “The devastation is pretty widespread. This part of the city is a very popular bazar area, very popular with young people when they are going out in the evening,” he said. Police on Friday early morning had yet to report the cause of the blasts. BN
