41 killed, over 100 injured in AP blasts

Hyderabad, Aug 25 (UNI) At least 41 people were killed and more than 100 others injured, thirty five of them seriously, in serial blasts here tonight triggered by suspected ISI-sponsored terrorists implanting high explosives with timer device.

State Home Minister K Jana Reddy, after visiting the injured in various Governemnt and Corporate hospitals, said 32 people were killed in the blasts at Gokul Chat house and nine others in Lumbini park.

However, sources said the toll of the blasts at the Lumbini park and Gokul Chats could be as high as 50.

The twin blasts came within hours after the Hyderabad city police claimed to have busted a fake currency racket linked with the infamous 'D (Dawood Ibrahim) gang.' Linkage with the Mecca Masjid blast during Friday prayers on May 18 with today's two blasts was also been investigated, as agencies were also looking for possible involvement of Bangaladesh's Huji Jihadis.

The first blast occurred at around 1940 hrs, when more than 500 people were watching a laser show at Lumbini park, a few metres away from the high security Andhra Pradesh Secretariat. The second blast occurred a few minutes later in the busy Koti area at the popular eatery, about eight km from the Lumbini park.

City police defused two bombs -- one at a theatre and another at an under-bridge in Dilshuknagar.

Rapid Action Force had been called to back up the heightened security of the state.

Rescue operations, however, were hampered because of the rains earlier in the day and heavy traffic.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and his Deputy Sri Prakash Jaiswal will be visiting Hyderabad tomorrow even as emergency cabinet meeting had been called tomorrow to review the situation.

UNI