Terrorist bomb blasts kill at least 18 in Mumbai

A series of three explosions rocked India's main financial city Mumbai at rush-hour Wednesday evening, killing at least 18 people and injuring scores of others. It is the biggest terrorist attack in the country since Pakistani-based Islamic militants rampaged through the same city killing 166 people in 2008.

The government said it was too early to point the figure at any particular group, and several terrorist organizations are being investigated.

“I think the government of the day, particularly the central government....[have shown] they are taking matters very seriously”, said Father Babu Joseph, the spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).

He told Vatican Radio the government has improved security over the past 3 years, but this attack shows more can be done.

“I think there is a strong feeling among large sections of Indian society, particularly the people of Mumbai, that they have been time and again targeted by terrorist groups,” he said. “I think the government is seized of the strong mood of the people, and they have moved all the government machineries to order a massive probe into the bomb blast to see who is behind this.”

Father Joseph also said the prayers of the Church are with the people of India.

“The Church really strongly condemns this bomb blast,” he said. “The Church certainly offers its deepest condolences to those families who lost their members, and offers prayers for the speedy recovery for those who were injured in the cowardly act of this bomb blast.”

Listen to the full interview by Charles Collins with Father Babu Joseph: