The bloodbath paralysed the railway service, which is regarded as the lifeline of the country’s commercial capital, used by six million commuters daily.
Authorities fear the toll will rise as several of the injured were in critical condition.
Thousands of shocked passengers, waiting for trains at stations in Mumbai’s western suburbs, were horrified to find bodies being pulled out of trains and bloodied passengers tumbling out of compartments.
The well-planned and orchestrated blasts occurred within a span of 11 minutes, starting just after 6.24 pm (5.54 PST). The police have launched a massive manhunt for militants behind the terrorist attacks. Indian authorities have so far not blamed any groups for the attacks on the country’s financial and commercial capital.
Following the blasts, several cities in the country, including New Delhi, Nasik, Bangalore, Nagpur and Aurangabad, were placed on high security alert.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bomb explosions.
A blast ripped through the fast train, speeding northwards, as it entered the station. The first-class compartment’s roof was blown out, and scores of passengers were flung on to the tracks. Other passengers from the platform and even from outside rushed and pulled out bodies and injured victims.
Some of the bodies were dumped on the pavements outside, recalls Ms D’Costa, and screaming women and children rushed around in confusion. All the blasts occurred in the first-class compartments of the trains. Some of the blasts occurred on the platforms, while others tore the compartments of moving trains.
All the stations where the blasts took place — Matunga, Mahim, Bandra, Khar, Jogeshwari, Borivali and Mira Road — are congested suburbs, with thousands of passengers surging out of them during the rush hour.
The coordinated blasts happened in a short span, taking the authorities by surprise. The railways ordered immediate suspension of services, and mobile phone service providers also ceased operations.
The next few hours were chaotic in Mumbai, as millions of stranded passengers panicked, heading for home. Hospitals were unable to cope with the rush of patients, and many had to be kept waiting, as the seriously wounded were being treated.
Police have been on the alert in Mumbai for the past week, initially because of the flooding of low-lying areas following heavy rains, and then to control communal riots.
Riots broke out last week in the powerloom city of Bhiwandi, about 75 km north-east of here, and home to thousands of Muslims. Local Muslim organisations had objected to the authorities constructing a police station adjacent to a mosque and a graveyard. When demonstrators tried to pull down the station, the police fired, killing three Muslims. Two policemen were later lynched by a mob.
The Hindu communal party, Shiv Sena, accused the Samajwadi Party of fomenting trouble in Bhiwandi. On Sunday, Shiv Sena leaders claimed that a statue of Meena Thackeray, wife of Bal Thackeray, the founder of the right-wing party, had been defiled.
Sena hooligans took to the streets, setting buses aflame, attacking shops, and forcing the closure of the city. In the suburb of Andheri, there were clashes between members of the Hindu right-wing party and workers of the Samajwadi Party.
Muslim traders in Andheri were targeted by the Shiv Sena. A senior minister in the state government accused the Shiv Sena of stage-managing the entire episode, and also charged the police of being partial towards the Sena hooligans.
Police sources here on Tuesday feared there could be backlash in Mumbai following the blasts. Thousands of paramilitary troops have been inducted into the city, even as Mumbai police have launched a hunt for militants with links to suspect organisations.