Mumbai:
News that a severed head had been found, a dead body had been discovered with an electric circuit attached to it, and security cameras expected to provide clues have provided no breakthrough so far - these were the facts that Mumbai sidestepped as it picked itself up and got back to work, hours after its latest terror attack.
Seventeen people are dead; 133 were hospitalised with injuries after three blasts within 12 minutes at Dadar, Zaveri Bazaar and Opera House on Wednesday. 13/7 got added to Mumbai's tragic terror calendar.
(Pics: Terror revisits Mumbai) The city remains sealed; other metros like Delhi and Bangalore are on high-alert.
(Read: High alert in cities across India)Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi are headed to Mumbai and will visit hospitals as well as the locations of the attacks. The Home Minister has been in the city since last night and said today that the blasts cannot be described as an intelligence failure. Senior BJP leader LK Advani countered that by saying "it's a policy failure." Mr Advani visited the sites of the terror attacks and also hospitals this morning. "
(Read: Repeated Mumbai attacks prove policy failure, says Advani)
Sophisticated IEDs, triggered by cellphone alarms
A hazy picture is gradually emerging of how the blasts took place - sophisticated Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were used; they were triggered by alarms set on cellphones. No sim cards have been found at the locations of the blasts. Two of the bombs used over a kilo of explosives.
In the midst of steady rain and these gritty details, Mumbaikars made their way to their offices. Don't speak of our "resilient spirit," they warned. "We expect nothing anymore," said a young woman whose office is a two-minute walk from Zaveri Bazaar.
(Read: Maximum City's controlled anger on the morning after)No Intelligence inputs: Chidambaram
In the morning, Home Minister P Chidambaram, at a lengthy press conference, said it is critical to avoid any speculation about who is responsible for the serial blasts during rush hour. "Nobody so far has claimed responsibility for the attacks," he said.
"After a gap of about 31 months, Mumbai has suffered another terror attack. I express my regrets", Mr Chidambaram said. "They (the terrorists) chose the places because of the density of the population and the congestion in those areas," he said.
He admitted that there had been no Intelligence input but also said that, "Intelligence is collected every day, every hour. It (blasts) is not a failure of intelligence agencies...whoever has perpetrated the attacks has worked in a very clandestine manner."
(Read: Not an intelligence failure, says Chidambaram)Traces of ammonium nitrate were found at the three locations - investigators worked all night collecting forensic evidence. The nature of the explosives will be determined by a Mumbai lab and the results will be revealed shortly, said Mr Chidambaram.
Security cameras near the three locations were expected till this morning to provide some clues. But the Mumbai Police now says that cameras at Dadar and Zaveri Bazaar have not proved to be helpful; footage from a building near the Opera House blast is still being scrutinized.
The most powerful blast of the three was at Zaveri Bazaar, but the one at Opera House - a hub for diamond traders - had the maximum impact because of the way the explosive was placed. Eleven people were killed and 73 people were injured at this part of South Mumbai.
The injured are being treated at KEM (022-24136051), Nair (022-23085379), Harkishandas (022-23855555/30095555), Saifee (022-67570111).(Watch live video of our complete coverage)