Mumbai remembers victims, survivors of 7/11 train bombing on 18th anniversary of blasts

Mumbai: Coinciding with the 18th anniversary of the 7/11 train bombings in Mumbai, the people of the financial capital of India, remembered the victims and survivors of one of the worst-ever terror strikes.

Not only was it one of the worst ever terror attacks in any metropolitan city in India; it was the most dangerous attack on urban transportation systems anywhere in the world.

Seven blasts in 11 minutes on 11 July, 18 years ago in first-class suburban train compartments of Western Railway route in the evening peak hours have left Mumbai rattled.

As many as 187 people were killed and over 900 others were injured in the incident on 11 June, 2006 - now commonly referred to as 7/11.

The crowded trains bound for Borivali and Virar were targeted on the Western Railway with orchestrated blasts in gents’ first-class compartments. The commuters mostly include executives, businessmen and persons in employment at various levels in government as well as private establishments besides college students.

On 11 September, 2015, as many as 12 of the 13 accused were convicted by a special court and sentenced while one of them was acquitted.

Of the 12 convicts, five were awarded capital punishment while the rest of them were given life imprisonment.

The main planner and conspirator was Azam Cheema alias Babaji, the Bahawalpur-based LeT commander who doubles up as an ISI operative – a wanted accused in the case.. He started the planning several years ago and commenced training of some of the key players in the act of terror.

After a detailed probe, the ATS has pieced together the entire modus operandi, but the fact remains that the key conspirators are at large.

“On 11 July 2006, in a cruel act of cowardice, bombs were exploded in the first-class coaches of seven suburban trains of Western Railway,” the Western Railway said.

At the Mahim suburban station, where a memorial is located, people paid tributes to the victims.

Western Railway officials paid homage.

The officials include Kailash Kherotia, Principal Chief Signal & Telecommunication Engineer, Amit Gupta, Principal Chief Engineer, Vineet Gupta, Chief Administrative Officer/ Construction, V A Malegaonkar, Principal Chief Operations Manager, Uday Borwankar, Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer, Ranjan Srivastava, Principal Chief Electrical Engineer, Mahesh Chandra, Principal Chief Materials Manager.

Commuters also placed wreaths and flowers at the memorial.