As many as 11 people were killed and 84 injured as two simultaneous bomb blasts rocked the busy Dilsukhnagar area of Hyderabad this evening.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said the condition of six of the injured was critical. However, sources said over 20 people were seriously injured and the death toll was expected to rise.
The two explosions took place around 7 pm, within a gap of five minutes, near Konark and Venkatadri cinema theatres. Police suspect these to be an act of terror attacks.
While 15 injured people were admitted to the nearby Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital in Malakpet, about 30 were rushed to the government-run Osmania General Hospital and the rest to various city hospitals.
Sources in Yashoda said, of the 15 people admitted, the condition of nine was serious. Almost all were middle-aged and needed surgical treatment.
The site where the explosion took place is usually a busy area, with cinema halls, a shopping complex and a bus stop in the vicinity. Also, a large number of autorickshaws are normally parked nearby.
Expressing shock and anguish, the chief minister announced ex-gratia of Rs 6 lakh to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000-1,00,000 for the injured. He said teams would be formed to expedite the probe and apprehend the culprits.
State police chief, V Dinesh Reddy, said the investigation had been given to the National Investigation Agency.
