Bombs Explode on Trains in India, Killing Scores

NEW DELHI, July 11 — A string of powerful explosions ripped up and down the spine of Mumbai’s commuter train system during rush hour today, bringing India’s financial capital to a panicked standstill and resurrecting memories of bloodbaths past.

No firm casualty figures were available immediately. The state’s top police official, P.S. Pasricha, said on Indian television that at least 70 people had died from the bomb blasts. The chief minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, said injuries could be as high as 300. The Associated Press reported a death toll exceeding 130.

It was quickly apparent however that the attacks were as cold-blooded as they were well-coordinated. The high-intensity blasts struck seven trains, along the western railway line of the city’s commuter train line, all within minutes of one another, between 6 and 7 p.m. local time, during peak traffic. Every day, more than six million people ride the trains in Mumbai, also known as Bombay, making it among the busiest public transportation system in the world. The death toll is certainly expected to climb.