Life comes to standstill in Mumbai for third time in past 2 weeks

Mumbai, July 11 (UNI) Today's blasts in local trains in the megapolis killed more than 60 people and left scores of others injured.

It was the third time in the last two weeks that all the activities in the financial capital of the country came to a complete halt.

Earlier, it was heavy rains and the issue of the desecration of the statue of the late Meenatai Thackeray, wife of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray that had crippled life in the bustling megapolis.

Only two days ago, unidentified miscreants defaced the statue of of the late Meenatai Thackeray, triggering a spate of violent protests from party activists throughout the state that shut down malls and markets in Jogeshwari, Mulund, Malad, Vikroli and other suburbs.

Two buses were torched in Mumbai and Nashik, while 38 other incidents of stone pelting on public transport was reported. Several tourist and government buses across the state were torched by agitating Sena activists.

A high alert was sounded across the state and police personnel deployed to maintain law and order.

This forced the people of the metropolis to stay indoors as they feared for their lives amid apprehensions that they might get injured or killed too if they venture out of their houses.

Last week too, Mumbaikars' life once again came to a standstill as the torrential rains continued to pound the city and its suburbs for five consecutive days.

The suburban railway, the lifeline of the Mumbaikars, was badly affected as the services on the Central and Harbour lines were suspended as the rail tracks were submerged under rainwater at many places. However, Western Railway was operating all its services since morning though much behind schedules.

Many commuters were stranded in the trains as local trains were halted in between stations for hours due to flooding of tracks.

BEST (Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply Transport) buses were operating with diverted routes as many areas were flooded.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Disaster Management Centre said waterlogging occurred at several low lying areas.

As it was not enough, the people of the city were in for a rude shock this evening when a series of blast rocked the metropolis leaving more than 60 killed and scores wounded.

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