HYDERABAD (TIP): At least 18people were killed and more than 60injured in two powerful bomb blastswithin a gap of less than five minutesgap in thickly populated Dilsukhnagararea on Thursday (February 21)evening. The police recovered fiveunexploded bombs from nearby areas,including popular Venkatadri theatre.The first blast occurred near AnandTiffin Centre at 6.58 pm, in whichmore than eight died and many twowheelerswere completely charred. Aspeople ran for their lives, anotherblast followed at Moteswari Complex,just 130 metres from the firstexplosion, around 7.02 pm, killingthree on the spot. Many others werereported dead while being shifted tohospitals or in the hospitals.An eyewitness said he had seen acycle parked among the bikes at thetiffin centre going off first. Two cyclesblew into pieces at both the spots.Three of a five-member family diedas they were trying to cross the road.

Shinde visits Hyderabad blast sites
Union HomeMinister Sushil Kumar Shinde onFebruary 22 visited the twin bombblasts site at Dilsukhnagar inHyderabad even as the toll in theattack rose to 18.Shinde, who reached Hyderabadby a special flight, drove straight toDilsukhnagar and inspected theblast site.Investigations have begun andthe State government has appointeda probe team, he said.Replying to a query about inputssuggesting that a blast might takeplace in Hyderabad, he said therewas no specific alert and only ageneral alert was issued to theStates.To another query about theinvolvement of group in the blast,he said such things can’t be said atthe moment.The Minister, who wasaccompanied by Andhra PradeshGovernor E.S.L. Narasimhan, ChiefMinister N. Kiran Kumar Reddyand Union Home Secretary N.K.Singh, inspected the fast foodcentre where the bicycle bombkilled at least eight persons on thespot.He then went to the bus shelterabout 150 meters away where thesecond blast killed another sixpeople and left many injured.Shinde also spoke with officialsof the National InvestigatingAgency and enquired about theclues gathered from the scene.The Union Minister later visitedsome hospitals where the injuredpersons were undergoingtreatment.Director General of Police V.Dinesh Reddy briefed the UnionHome Minister about the twoblasts.

HISTORY OF BLASTS IN HYDERABAD
2002
In 2002, two people were killed in a blast at a Sai BabaTemple, Dilsukhnagar area of the city. The police hadblamed Lashkar-e-Toiba for the blasts. Terroriststargeted the same area in yesterday’s strike.

May 2007
Around 14 were killed in blast at Mecca Masjid duringthe Friday Prayers in the old city of Hyderabad. Whilenine people were killed in the blasts, five more werekilled when police opened fire at protestors who wereangry at the bombings.

August 2007
Terror struck the city again within months of theMecca Masjid blasts, and this time the damage wasmuch greater with over 42 people killed in two blasts.One was at Lumbini Amusement Park and the othertook place at Gokul Chat shop. Two more bombs weredefused in other parts of the city.

February 2013
Two serial blasts took place at in Dilsukhnagar.Currently the death toll stands at 18.