Varanasi attacks

Indian temple city hit by blasts

The temple was packed at the time of the blast
At least 15 people have been killed in three bomb explosions in the northern Indian pilgrimage city of Varanasi.
At least 60 others were injured, police said. The first blast occurred at a Hindu temple and was followed by two more at the main railway station.
Police also said they defused two more bombs in the city. No-one has so far said they were behind the attacks.
Varanasi is the religious capital of Hinduism and is usually packed with Indian pilgrims and foreign tourists.
The blasts were pretty big and I do not rule out a terrorist hand behind it

Navneet Sikera
Varanasi police chief
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and appealed for calm.
The city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, about 670km (415 miles) south-east of the capital Delhi, has a history of religious violence.
Pandemonium
The first explosion took place in the major Sankot Mochan temple dedicated to the Hindu God Hanuman at about 1815 local time (1245 GMT).

People were screaming, saying that there had been a big bomb blast

Francesco Marino
eyewitness


In pictures: Deadly blasts
Eyewitness: 'It was terrible'
High priest horrified
At least 10 people were killed and a number of others injured in the blast, Uttar Pradesh officials said.
An eyewitness, Siddharth Suri, told the BBC that thousands of people were at the temple at the time of the blast.
Tuesday is a special day at the Sankat Mochan temple and the explosion took place just minutes before the"