Mumbai blasts: Death toll reaches 21, 141 injured

1:35 am State will bear cost of treatment of those injured in the blasts, says CM

1:25 am  At all the three sites,  Chidambaram  spoke to investigators and forensic experts who are trying to get additional leads into details regarding the blasts.

1:15 am At least 141 injured

1:05 am High alert sounded in 14 cities, including Delhi and Bangalore

1:00 am Home minister and CM reach Opera House

12: 45 am PM asks Home Minister P Chidambaram to provide expert assistance to CM, police

12:40 Home Minister P Chidambaram has reached Mumbai

12:30 am It appears fuel-filled bombs were used, almost like Molotov cocktails, says CM

11:17 PM CM visits injured in hospital- says Mumbai is a ‘soft target’ because it is India’s financial capital

11:06 pm Victims at GT Hospital: Sanjay Rohidas, Nitin Ratilal, Lalu Rohidas, Raju Yadav, Guniya, Uttam Jadhav

10:45 pm Obama reacts: “India is a close friend and partner of US” and we will offer support to India’s efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice."

10:40 pm At state-run JJ Hospital, 17 injured were admitted of which one died during treatment. At Harkishandas Hospital, 29 persons, injured at the blast at Opera House, were brought, says CNN IBN, citing sources

10:39 pm At St George’s Hospital, nine persons were admitted of which one is said to be in serious condition. One of the injured, identified as Lalchand Ahuja (45), later died.

10:38 pm Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemns bomb blasts in Mumbai, asks Mumbaikars to remain calm and show a united face.

10:33 pm IED found in an umbrella at Zaveri Bazaar, says Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik

10:26 pm No impact on flights at CSIA due to unfortunate incidents in Mumbai

10:25 pm KEM needs B negative blood..anyone with that group please go to KEM hospital at Parel by tomorrow morning. Contact - 022-24136051

10:23 pm Chidambaram on his way to Mumbai

10:18  Govt sources say 20 dead, 113 injured

10:16 pm Mumbai police says only one device was found in Zaveri Bazaar.

10 pm: Opera House blast most powerful, says Maharashtra CM

9 :55 pm Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who visited the blast sites, said 21 ambulances and fire brigade vehicles were used to shift injured to about five hospitals in the city.

9:52 pm “By triggering these blasts, nefarious elements want to prove that the present Central government is not capable to contain them and they have the strength to destroy the country,” says Gujarat CM  Narendra Modi.

9:49 pm “We do not want to play the blame game… but the government needs to get its act together, says  Rahul Narvekar, Head Shiv Sena Legal Cell.

9 :47 pm Chidambaram chairs high-level meeting after attacks.

9 :41 pm   Maximum causalities reported from diamond market Zaveri Bazaar, which has been  on the terrorist hit list since 1993. It was first targeted in August 1993 when 13 serial blasts rocked the country’s financial capital killing 257 people and injuring over 700 others. It was again targeted in August 2003, when the blast claimed 54 lives.

9 : 35 pm PM speaks to Home Minister P Chidambarm and Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan about Mumbai serial attacks

9 :30 pm Opera House was a high-intensity blast, while the blasts in Dadar and Zaveri Bazaar were low-intensity ones, says Prithviraj Chavan. He added that “we are much better prepared today than earlier”.

9 :27 pm  Blast timings Zaveri Bazaar 6:54 pm, Opera House 6:55 pm Dadar 7:05 pm

9 :25 pm Serial blasts are a co-ordinated attack by terrorists

9:21 pm Death toll rises to 17, says Maharashtra CM

9: 21 PM The blast in Zaveri Bazar took place at Khao Gali while a motorcycle was used to trigger the explosion near the two-storey JK Building at Tata Road No. 1 in Opera House. The blast at Kabootar Khana in Dadar took place in a Maruti Esteem car.

9 : 20 Three victims injured at Dadar identified

9 :10 pm Basic policing lacking in Mumbai, says VC Pawar, former ACP Mumbai.

9 :00 pm Maharashtra CM says powerful explosives were used during the blast

8:55 pm Blast comes two days after the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai train blasts.

8: 51 PM National Investigation Agency personnel already in Mumbai, assisting police in the investigation.Apart from the three blasts there is no other information about any other blast, says Chidambaram.

8 :50 Ten dead, confirms Home Minister P Chidambaram. 54 admitted to hospitals. Number of injured could be higher.

8:40 pm Maharashta CM says 13 dead, 81 injured in serial blasts

8: 38 pm Indian Mujahideen prime suspect, says CNN IBN, citing sources.

8:19 pm  Home ministry confirms two dead, over a 100 injured. One explosion was in a Maruti Esteem, one at a bus stop and one on a motorcycle. Home minister convenes high-level meeting to review situation.

8:09 pm  BSF plane leaves for Mumbai carrying NSG personnel  and forensic experts.

8:08 pm  MH43 A 9384 is the number of the  car in which the Dadar bomb was planted

8:07 pm  9 taken to JJ Hospital, 20 to GT Hospital and 15 victims taken to St George’s hospital

You can watch the slideshow here

8:06  Huge crowd near blast sites. Police are unable to control the crowd, except in the core blast area.

8:04 pm Initial reports suggest all explosives were in vehicles

8 :03 pm Police say 2 people have been injured and taken to the hospital from Dadar Kabutar Khana. The blast  that took place near a multi-faith religious structure shattered glass in nearby shops

8:01 pm NSG rushes to Mumbai to co-operate with the police

7:59 pm Police sources: IED ( Improvised explosive device) used in all three  blasts

7:59 pm Terror strike, says Home Ministry

7: 53 pm  Eight killed , 70 injured, says CNN IBN citing police sources

7:49 pm   Dadar blast took place at bus stop near Antonia Da  Silva school

7:49 pm Victims of Opera House and Zaveri Bazaar blasts taken to JJ Hospital, while Dadar blast victims taken to KEM Hospital

7:45 pm: Police evacuating Opera House . Area cordoned off.  Blast took place near Prasad Chambers

7:45 pm: The Home ministry has confirmed that they are serial blasts.

7:44 pm:  Maharashtra ATS  team is at the blast sites.

7:44 pm: Following the Mumbai blasts, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai have been put on high alert

7:33 pm: The police is probing a tiffin box found near an electric pole in Dadar.

7:20 pm: Explosions have been reported in Zaveri Bazaar near Crawford market, near Opera House in South Mumbai and Dadar’s Kabutar Khana in Central Mumbai. The three blasts took place almost simultaneously at 7:10 pm. At least 15 people have been injured so far, says CNN IBN, citing police sources. Howebr, a Times Now report put the injured figure at 100. No independent confirmation has been available so far. The Mumbai police has been put on high alert after the blast. Police road blocks have been put in place to check vehicles and people leaving the blast sites.

7:26 pm:Police and fire brigade are at the blast site at Opera House. However, the nature and the intensity of the blast cannot yet be confirmed. Eyewitnesses say fire has been brought under control at Zaveri Bazaar. Maharashtra Home Secretary speaking to CNN IBN did not confirm whether it is a terror attack or not.

Firstpost’s R Jagannathan and Shruti Dhapola report live from the blast site in Dadar:

Opera House and Zaveri Bazaar are two major commercial hubs in Mumbai. Zaveri Bazaar has witnessed a bomb blast in 2006.

Watch Video of the Mumbai serial blast at Opera House