Chennai live: Prez condemns blasts, calls it 'senseless act of violence'

7.36 pm: Will ensure perpetrators of attack are brought to justice: Pranab President Pranab Mukherjee termed the explosions at Chennai central station as a “senseless act of violence” and said no efforts should be spared to bring perpetrators of the attack to justice. In his message to Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah, the President said he was saddened to learn about the tragic loss of life and injuries caused to innocent travellers in the explosions. “Such senseless acts of violence deserve the strongest condemnation. No efforts should be spared in bringing the perpetrators of this heinous attack to justice,” he said and expressed confidence that the state government and other agencies will do the needful to provide all possible aid to the affected families. 7.07 pm: Rajasthan on alert after Chennai blasts Security was intensified at major railway stations, airports, bus depots and other public areas in Rajasthan in the wake of bomb explosions in a train at Chennai railway station, a top police official said. “We have alerted all district Superintendent of Police, IG range to step up vigilance and surveillance at airports, roadways bus depots, hospitals, railway stations, religious places in view of Chennai blasts,” DGP Omendra Bhardwaj told PTI. “There would be an extra vigilance and alerts in the sensitive cities like Ajmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Kota divisions as a precautionary measures,” he added. 4.04 pm: Could Andhra have been the target of the twin blasts? Was some area in poll-bound Andhra Pradesh the real target of the two bombs that exploded in Chennai Central railway station early today? “Except Seemandhra, Lok Sabha elections in the entire South India is over. The bombs exploded in two compartments of a train that travels through the area where elections are yet to be held. We are not sure, but there is a possibility…,” a Home Ministry official told PTI. The train is said to have been late by at least two hours when it arrived in Chennai this morning. If the blasts were triggered by a timer device, then actually the explosion could have taken place somewhere in the coastal region of southern Andhra Pradesh. The scheduled stops of the express train in Andhra Pradesh are Ongole, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Vishakapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Palasa – all located in Seemandhra region where polling is slated next Wednesday. After Chennai, the next stop of the train was Ongole in Andhra Pradesh. 4.04 pm: Chidambaram says NCTC could’ve helped Concerned over the twin bomb explosions in a train in Chennai, Finance Minister P Chidambaram made a strong pitch for NCTC, saying the mechanism would have helped plug loopholes in coordination. Chidambaram, who as Home Minister had pushed hard for National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), which could not see the light of the day due to reservations by non-Congress ruled states, said, “I can not genuinely claim that NCTC would have avoided every blast. But NCTC would have reached the source of the extremists and bomb-makers,” he said, insisting that the body could have helped nab many specialists in bomb making, extremists and sleeping cells of extremists and bomb-makers. The Finance Minister was of the view that uncoordinated actions of the state governments, which is creating gaps in fighting terrorism would have been bridged and “NCTC would have brought that coordination”. At the outset of an AICC briefing, Chidambaram said the Congress party expresses deep regret and concern over the train blast. 4.39 pm: Jaya refuses help, Centre puts sending of investigation teams on hold The Centre today was forced to put on hold dispatch of teams of NIA, NSG and forensic experts to Chennai in the wake of twin blasts in a train after the Tamil Nadu government spurned its help. Tamil Nadu, whose Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is strongly opposed to any interference from Central agencies on the subject of law and order, refused to take any help from the Centre, saying its police was well equipped to handle the blast probe. 4.04 pm: NIA team reaches scene of blasts A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team has reached the site of the twin blasts and is investigating the case according to a Home Ministry official, Zee News, reported. As per the report, the ministry has sought a report from the state government on the incident. 4.04 pm: Techie who died was set to tie nuptial knot In a cruel twist of fate, 22-year-old techie Swati fell victim to the twin bomb blasts on the Bangalore-Guwahati train just two months before she was to tie the nuptial knot. Swati, an engineering graduate from a college in Hyderabad, had joined a leading software firm in Bangalore only four months ago and was returning home with a friend when the blasts claimed her. When the news of Swati’s tragic death reached her family in Guntur, her parents and relatives were inconsolable. “She was to come home today. But now only her body is coming”, Swati’s grief-stricken grandmother Rajalakshmi said. “She was to marry in another two months,” a wailing Rajalakshmi said. 2.20 pm: Security tightened across Andhra Pradesh railway stations Security was today intensified at major railway stations across Andhra Pradesh following the bomb explosions at Chennai Central Railway station, Government Railway Police (GRP) said. “We routinely conduct checks and searches at railway stations, however, following the bomb explosions at Chennai railway station, we have intensified the checking at Secunderabad and Nampally railway stations besides at Warangal and Kazipet and other railway stations,” Superintendent of Police (Secunderabad Railway Police) Chandrasekhar Reddy said. - PTI 1.58 pm: Lalu condemns blasts, calls it ‘act of terror’ Calling it an act of terror, Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad said safety for everybody should be ensured. “The blast in Chennai is a terror attack. It is a very sad incident and should be condemned by all. Safety for all should be ensured first in the country,” Prasad said while on his way to address public meetings in Ujiarpur, Saran and Maharajganj constituencies. 1.33 pm: 24-year old woman who lost her life was a TCS employee The 24-year-old woman who lost her life in the twin blasts in the Bangalore-Guwahati Express at the Chennai Central Railway Station was an employee of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and her family belongs to Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. TCS, in a statement after the blasts, said, “We are deeply shocked and saddened at this unfortunate loss of life of our colleague in this tragic incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time.” 12.40 pm: PM condemns blasts, says act exposes desperation Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday condemned the twin blasts that took place in a train at Chennai Central Station. Offering condolence to the kin of the deceased and sympathy for those injured, he appealed for peace and expressed confidence that the people of the country will stand united against these attempts to disturb peace and harmony. Singh said, “Such barbaric acts targeting innocent men, women and children only highlight the desperation and cowardice of those responsible,” according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office. “The Prime Minister has offered his sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and heartfelt sympathies to those injured”, it said. He said, “No efforts should be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Centre, he said, will provide the state government all assistance towards this. 11.37 am: Guwahati Express departs from Chennai Central The Guwahati- Bangalore Express, aboard which two explosions took place, has departed from the Chennai central station. The running status of the train, says that has been delayed by 50 minutes. 11.00 am: TN police say explosives were triggered by mobile device Tamil Nadu police have told media that they believe that the blast was triggered by a mobile device with a timer. Investigations are underway, and extensive vehicular checking is being carried out in a one kilometre radius of the station. Meanwhile Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has condemned the blasts at the Chennai central railway station and has ordered a CB-CID probe into the incident. 10.51 am: Unlikely that Chennai was blast target, says TN DGP Tamil Nadu DGP K Ramanujam said it was unlikely that the target of the blast aboard the Bangalore-Guwahati express was Chennai. “It is not a major blast. It is suspected that Chennai could not have been target of those who were behind the blast because the train was running late. Some other location could have been the target”, Ramanujam said. He said police have no immediate information on who was responsible for the explosion in which 11 people were injured. “It is premature to say what kind of device was used is the blast. Damage to the train is not heavy,” he added. 10.36 am:  No confirmation on whether Chennai blast was terror attack Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami has refused to comment on whether the blast at Chennai central can be termed a terror attack just yet. “We are still waiting for the details,” he said. Meanwhile Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is currently in Himachal Pradesh for campaigning for the Congress candidates. “I am away in Himachal. I have directed my officials to provide all assistance to the state government,” Shinde said. A team of National Security Guard and explosive experts is likely to be sent to Chennai to join in the investigation into the blast. A NIA team from Hyderabad is also being rushed to the blast site, official sources said. 10.17 am: Central, state teams working together, says Rail Minister Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge has said that state and central investigations are underway into the Chennai central blast, and said that his ‘people’ were taking quick action and relief work. “I believe that in a short time we will be able to sort out this matter”, he said. Kharge also said that he would not be traveling to Chennai as he had to visit New Delhi for an update meeting. Meanwhile the immediate ‘post blast’ investigations into the blast seem to have ended for now. The Railway police along with the civilian police had carried out an intense search operation around the Chennai central station. 9.50 am: Home Secretary says it is touch with Tamil Nadu police The Home Secretary has issued a statement in which it has said that it is in touch with both the Tamil Nadu police as well as the railways over the Chennai central explosions. The statement adds that a decision on a future course of action will be taken soon. 9.32 am: TN police detain 1 suspect The Tamil Nadu police have reportedly taken one man into custody in connection with the explosions aboard the Bangalore - Guwahati express that took place at platform number 9 at Chennai central railways. The man had reportedly been hiding inside the train. No other information was immediately available, although some reports have suggested that he had also been in the possession of explosives. https://twitter.com/ramyakannan/status/461717068870860800 Meanwhile an NIA team has reportedly left for Chennai to assist with investigations. There is also a probe on to ascertain whether this explosion has any connection with the arrest of a Lankan youth earlier this week, believed to have connections with the ISI. 8.53 am: Passenger killed in Chennai train blast was 22-year-old girl General Manager, Southern Railway, Rakesh Misra has confirmed that the woman killed in the Chennai central blast was a 22-year-old woman who had been travelling from Bangalore with her family. He said that one of the explosions had taken place under one of the seats in the train, and the girl had been sitting on the seat. Another explosion had taken place in the adjoining coach. Apart from the girl who has been killed, another two people are seriously injured, Misra added. He said that it was still not known what kind of device had been used, and it was now up to the civilian police. A helpline number has been created for those wanting more information. The number is 044 25357398. An ex-gratia sum of Rs one lakh has been announced for the family of the girl who was killed in the attack. Misra said that the train had pulled into Chennai two hours later than scheduled. If it had adhered to its original timing, the train would have been well on its way when the explosions occurred. Meanwhile the Hindu reporting team had tweeted out these images: https://twitter.com/ChennaiConnect/status/461709304752381952 https://twitter.com/journovivek/status/461707874322767872 8.46 am: Lady passenger killed in Chennai blast Railway Board chairman Arunendra Kumar has confirmed that one person has been killed as a result of the blast aboard the Bangalore-Guwahati express, while another 7 have been injured. He said that the killed passenger had been female. Speaking to CNN-IBN a short while ago, Kumar also said that there had been just one blast at the junction of the s3 and s4 coaches. He added that the intensity of the blast was yet unknown. 8.35 am: Blast took place aboard train while it was pulling into station: reports Information regarding exactly what took place inside the Chennai central station is starting to trickle in. According to the latest information, the blast took place aboard the Bangalore-Guwahati express, just as it was pulling into the Chennai central station. According to Tamil news channels, the blast took place in the S3-S4 coach of the Bangalore-Guwahati Express There is still no official confirmation about casualty figures, although it is feared that the number of injured has risen to 10. 8.26 am: One feared killed in minor blast at Chennai central station A minor explosion at the Chennai central railway station has reportedly killed one person, and injured at least seven. [caption id=“attachment_1503999” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Chennai Central station: Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The explosion had reportedly taken place on platform number 9 where the Guwahati express had been berthed. Initial reports indicate that the explosion may have been aboard the train. Police teams from across the city have been rushed to the spot trying to ascertain the exact reason behind the explosion. The railway station has been shut down for the moment. The injured have been rushed to the nearby Rajiv Gandhi hospital for treatment. No concrete reports have been given by the police as yet, but media reports say that they are trying to ascertain whether the explosion was caused by an IED or RDX device.