Bombay Blasts

August 25, 2003 4:32 AM

About 2, if not more blasts rocked Mumbai on Monday afternoon. About 40 people are dead, and numerous injured. The bombs were apparently placed in taxis, and the two confirmed explosion sites are the historic Gateway of India, a huge tourist spot and the Mumba Devi temple, after which the city get its name. The city has been prey to a string of deadly bomb attacks since December last year, with the most recent, on a bus, killing three in July, and suffered a simliar serial blast back on March 12^th, 1993.
posted by riffola (19 comments total)

In other news:
• Hamas Vows Revenge for Israel Killings
• Officials Oppose More U.S. Troops in Iraq
• U.S. Gas Prices Make Record Jump
• Bustamante Leads Schwarzenegger in California Poll
• Foreign Fighters in Iraq Raise Stakes for Bush
• Democrat Dean Gets 'In Your Face' with Bush
posted by Outlawyr at 6:09 AM on August 25, 2003

Yeah, c'mon riffola, they weren't Americans that died.
That's important.
You have to kill at least 10 times as many Asians as Americans to be noteworthy. I mean, c'mon... where's your head at today?
posted by Blue Stone at 6:34 AM on August 25, 2003

"they weren't Americans that died"
That was not the point of my post. The point is, there are important events that occur all the time all over the world. It isn't necessary to post them on metafilter.com.

"You have to kill at least 10 times as many Asians as Americans to be noteworthy."
No, you have to find something new and interesting on the internet that most people don't already know about for it to be noteworthy. I don't think headline news fits that description.
posted by Outlawyr at 6:55 AM on August 25, 2003

And let me preemptively add that I'm not trying to tell riffola how to post; his posts are usually interesting. I just don't like the "race to be first to post the days headline and lead paragraph". I was trying to be funny, but now Blue Stone's got me all riled up.

Grrrr.
posted by Outlawyr at 7:13 AM on August 25, 2003

Point is, Outlawyr, if the FPP had read "About 2, if not more blasts rocked New York on Monday afternoon.", would you still "try to be funny"?
posted by signal at 7:19 AM on August 25, 2003

Outlawyr, I didn't race to post this. I knew about the blasts 3 hours prior to my mentioning it here. I was busy for the first 3 hours checking up on family and friends and making sure everyone was ok. I know people who barely escaped getting blown to bits today, I know someone whose car was one of the many destroyed by the blasts. Bombay is my home, and it's also the financial capital with a population of about 18 million people, and it's hinterland is pretty much all of India, a country of 1 billion plus people, that's 1/6th of the human population on Earth. Bombay is shut down already, there are reports that the opposition will call for a city-wide shutdown tomorrow too, and this affects not just the city, but all of India, and even neighbouring nations.
posted by riffola at 7:33 AM on August 25, 2003

Oh, if it were in New York I think we should cut and paste the whole article after the headline. Maybe even double or triple post it.
posted by Outlawyr at 7:33 AM on August 25, 2003

And to riffola, I'm sorry.
posted by Outlawyr at 7:34 AM on August 25, 2003

Metafilter: Burying hatchets since 1999.
posted by Oddly at 7:42 AM on August 25, 2003

I haven't noticed any of the news sources naming suspects or reporting groups taking credit. Anyone heard otherwise? (Unfortunately too busy to scan all the usual news sources right now...)
posted by dhoyt at 8:06 AM on August 25, 2003

Current speculation suggests that a report on the Ayodhya ruins made by the Archaeological Survey of India and released earlier today by an Indian high court may have touched things off.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:23 AM on August 25, 2003

> The point is, there are important events that occur all the
> time all over the world. It isn't necessary to post them on
> metafilter.com.

Oh, I think this particular news story leads to a much wider, Mefi-worthy proposition, namely that it's clearly time to reconstitute the Empire and give it back to the British. The lesser breeds without the law can't seem to get a handle on this business of blowing one another up.
posted by jfuller at 8:29 AM on August 25, 2003

Wow... I hadn't heard this, and I'm actually headed to india later this week for the wedding of a family friend, in Chennai. I have a few days in Mumbai and am planning to visit the gateway to india and to visit the markets of kalbadevi (where the mumbadevi temple is located).

There's something slightly eery about travelling to a destination that has recently experienced terrorism, but something energizing as well. That being said, I could do without the energy.
posted by mosch at 9:25 AM on August 25, 2003

Outlook India has some photos of the carnage.
posted by homunculus at 11:25 AM on August 25, 2003

riffola, i am so glad your family and friends escaped harm.
posted by quonsar at 2:06 PM on August 25, 2003

Thanks quonsar.
posted by riffola at 4:56 PM on August 25, 2003

India shows restraint in response to bombings
posted by homunculus at 5:25 PM on August 25, 2003

I see no reason why they can't just build a Hindu temple and Islamic Mosque on the same plot of land.

But then again, I'm probably being too pragmatic.
posted by linux at 10:03 PM on August 25, 2003

riffola, I am so sorry! I had a busy day and I am just catching up with Mefi tonight, started from the top down...

It must be stressful for you to be so far removed from family and friends at a time like this, and the waiting for word earlier today must have been terrible.

And to make matters worse, most of us here in the u.s. are so woefully ignorant of India, the geography, the politics and the culture, so it must make it all the harder for you.

You've certainly had double jeopardy, riff, having lived through the turmoil in NY and then having your home city hit too. I am really sorry.
posted by madamjujujive at 11:06 PM on August 25, 2003