Bomb blasts in Mumbai
On July 11, bombs on seven commuter trains in India killed 180 people. S K Dogra draws parallels with similar terrorist attacks in other countries and suggests some solutions for confronting terrorist attacks on transport networks.
During the past two years there have been three major terrorist attacks targeting trains. From Madrid to London, to Mumbai, attacking trains as a terrorist strategy seems to have acquired greater finesse. During the Mumbai blasts, people in the local neighbourhood played a major role in rescue work. With training, this effort can be made more effective. Perhaps a much more consequential step would be to raise a group of ‘Safety Workers’.
Dr P S Pasricha, Director General of Police for Maharashtra State in India, reports on the recent train bombings and explains how Mumbai authorities helped the community rise together to the challenge of terror, utilising public television networks to prevent racial fallout and help the city return to normality.
A slightly greater focus on the Muslims among the dead and the injured in the coverage of news in the local channels helped to prevent the tragedy from acquiring the appearance of one community against another, and it became a joint tragedy for both Hindus and Muslims, caused by a common enemy.
Photo courtesy of Dr P S Pasricha
The full text appears in Volume 2 Issue 4 of the Crisis Response Journal.
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