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Blasts, a bloody climax to tragic 10 days
Tuesday's blasts came as a gory climax to 10 days that saw Mumbai go through a series of calamities.
Tuesday's savage blasts that has killed more than 180 innocent people came as a gory climax to 10 days that saw Mumbai go through a series of calamities - natural and man-made.
The megalopolis's travails began when heavy monsoon rains partially submerged the city of 18.5 million, killing six people in and around Mumbai July 3.
Suburban train services were discontinued on all three lines - central, western and harbour - and even the Mumbai airport was forced to shut down for long hours.
However, the downpour was nothing compared to last year's deluge July 26 that killed more than 400 people.
But close on the heels of the five-day torrential rains, the city was struck by another calamity - this time a man-made one.
Two policemen were murdered and set afire by a mob July 9 after two people were killed in police firing in the textile town of Bhiwandi during violent protests against construction of a police station next to a mosque.
Eight companies of the State Reserve Police, two companies of the Rapid Action Force and 800 policemen were posted in the township north of Mumbai to bring the situation under control.
Then again on Sunday activists of the Hindu right-wing Shiv Sena went about rampaging in the city protesting the desecration of the statue of Meenatai Thackeray, the late wife of Sena chief Bal Thackeray.
As news of the incident spread, sporadic violence was witnessed in central Mumbai, suburbs and neighbouring Thane district in the afternoon and several other parts of the state.
Tuesday's blasts seem to be a culmination of a series of violent events the city has witnessed and borne stoically.
