Three blasts rock Mumbai; 21 dead, 113 wounded

 "It is a terror act. Quite obvious that some terror element is involved in the attack. Zaveri Bazaar blast took place due to an IED kept in an abandoned umbrella. All three blasts occurred between 6.50 and 7 p.m.," he said.

"It would be premature to say what kind of explosives were used," Patnaik said. 
NSG, BDDS, ATS and other agencies are on the spot and relief work is on. The entire city has been cordoned off, he added
The terror strike coincided with the birthday of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman in 26/11, who turned 24 today. Kasab has been sentenced to death by a trial court.

Home Minister P Chidambaram had indicated that at least 10 people have been killed, but Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan raised that to 13, which itself was raised subsequently to 17.

Indian Mujahedin has emerged as the group most likely behind the terror strikes.

After initially refusing to take a stand, Home Ministry has now described the blasts in Mumbai as serial bomb blasts.

Improvised explosive devices (IED) were used by the terrorists, says the Home Ministry.

PWD Minister Chaggan Bhujbal confirmed that three blasts have occurred.

"I took a couple of photographs. I think they might be too graphic for broadcast," he said.

"Bodies and limbs were strewn everywhere. People were crying and screaming. The area was packed with shoppers at the time of the blast. A few offered assistance to the blood-soaked victims, while others looked on in a state of shock," he said.

"It was totally chaos. There were pools of blood everywhere."

The second and most powerful blast was in the nearby Opera House district. Local media said it was planted inside the two-storey Prasad Chamber building.

In the central Dadar district, the bomb tore apart a taxi that was parked next to a bus stop, witnesses told the BBC. It was unclear whether the explosives were planted inside the vehicle or in a nearby electricity meter box.

"I heard a loud explosion. And then I saw people with serious injuries lying in pools of blood," another person told the Times of India.

An unexploded bomb was also reportedly been found in Dadar.

According to some reports, the blasts came on the birthday of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 attacks. But court records show his birthday to be in September