国际英语新闻：18 killed, 90 injured in Delhi blasts

NEW DELHI, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Eighteen people were killed and over 90 others injured in serial blasts in various parts of the Indian capital Delhi Saturday evening, officials said.

    The blasts all happened in crowed markets in Delhi. The first blast took place at Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh in west-central Delhi around 6:15 p.m., killing seven people. Sources said the blast had taken place in an auto rickshaw, and had injured around 20 people in the crowded market that specializes in the sale of mobile phones.

    Roshan Lal, an eyewitness said: "The auto rickshaw was lifted into the air by the impact of the blast and I saw bodies flying in every direction."

A policeman inspects the blast site at Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh in west-central Delhi, India, Sept. 13, 2008. Eighteen people were killed and over 90 others injured in serial blasts in various parts of the Indian capital Delhi Saturday evening, officials said.

Two of the blasts in central Connaught Place, a famous financial, commercial and business center, were within a span of 10 seconds, and both bombs had apparently been kept inside dustbins. An estimated 30 people were injured at the spot.

    The third blast in Connaught Place took place near an entrance to the Metro station. The bomb was kept above a dustbin, eyewitnesses said.

    In another market GK-I's blast, more than a dozen people were injured and ten shops were damaged in the explosion.

    The injured were rushed to local hospitals. An unexploded bomb was defused at New Delhi's landmark India Gate, police said.

    There was panic and traffic snarls in the affected areas as people tried to leave them while crowds gathered at the same time. Security was immediately tightened across Delhi, the report said.

Policemen inspect the blast site at Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh in west-central Delhi, India, Sept. 13, 2008. Eighteen people were killed and over 90 others injured in serial blasts in various parts of the Indian capital Delhi Saturday evening, officials said.

The NDTV said that Indian Mujahideen militant outfit had claimed responsibility for the blasts.

    Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has condemned the blasts in Delhi and appealed to the people to remain calm. He also expressed grief at the loss of lives.

    India's ruling National Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi has conveyed her heartfelt grief at the loss of lives and assured all help to the people.

    The bombings came two months after the attacks in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad where 56 people died. Similar bombings happened in India's western state Rajasthan's capital Jaipur in May that killed 68 people, the Indo-Asian News Service reported.

    Delhi was last rocked by a terror attack in October 2005 when multiple blasts in several markets had killed 51 people on the eve of Diwali, a traditional festival.