NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- A string of explosions ripped through New Delhi Saturday evening within minutes of each other, killing at least 33 people -- most of them at a marketplace crowded with thousands of people getting ready for India's festival of lights, the state of Delhi's chief minister Sheila Dikshit told CNN.

"It's a very sad day for all of us because Delhi is celebrating a festive season," she said.

While it is not clear what caused the blasts, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office said there is no doubt they were the work of terrorists.

"This kind of cynical attack on the people of India is just not acceptable," Singh's media adviser, Dr. Sanjay Baru, told CNN.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Authorities reported explosions at three locations, and the reported deaths happened at two marketplaces, Dikshit said. It was not clear where the third blast detonated.

Dikshit said at least 31 people died at one marketplace and two others at another marketplace, both packed with people preparing for the Hindu holiday of Diwali, India's largest festival.

The blasts triggered fears throughout the capital, shattering some of the festive atmosphere that precedes Diwali.

Authorities are urging people not to panic and to stay away from crowded areas.

Video from one scene showed a damaged area of a popular market, with debris strewn about and shops gutted from the force of the blasts. Dozens of officers were on the scene responding to the blast.

CNN's Satinder Bindra, at the site of one of the marketplace blasts in central Delhi, said many women and children sustained serious injuries.

Fireworks are often set off in advance of Diwali, so many people who heard the blasts initially thought they were firecrackers.

Indian authorities had issued some warnings in advance of Diwali, saying people should beware of the possibility of violence. Such warnings have become standard in recent years, and there were no warnings of specific attacks being planned.

While Indian authorities are blaming terrorists for Saturday's attack, they are not saying if a particular group is believed to be responsible.

Delhi was the site of a deadly parliament attack in December 2001, blamed on Islamic militant groups backed by Pakistan, although Hindu-Muslim tensions are normally centered in the disputed region of Kashmir.

On yahoo, I read 36 kills instead of 33.

When will this shit end? The worst part is that this is happened on Diwali!

Just to let you guys know, Diwali is like the Indian equivalent of Christmas.

-Sunny

When the last infidel is dead or the world sleeps in glorious fire.

Just saw on news that over 60 people have died...the numbers will flare up since 100s have been injured...

Another FYI for you folks - people burst fire-crackers celebrating Diwali...and some of them are horrific noisy ones....honestly, it will be hard to tell if there's a blast or just a stupid fire-cracker...that has been my fear since I grew up knowing about terrorism.

Anyway I'll see how it goes - I'll be in Bombay during the festival

I've only been to New Delhi and Calcutta, and that was like 15 years ago. My eyes will never again witness such poverty.

When I was a little, Diwali festivals were the shit. Firecrackers, free food, etc.

-Sunny

make that 58 now

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,173912,00.html

just the lede...

NEW DELHI — Near-simultaneous explosions rocked the Indian capital Saturday evening, tearing through a bus and two markets crowded with people shopping for gifts for a Hindu festival. At least 58 people were killed and dozens wounded in the blasts, which the government blamed on terrorists.

*Mumbai.

Good on the Indian and Pakistani authorities for how they responded- by opening up the boundaries in Kashmir. Kudos.

and how many died in the train derailment? a fair few. what a shit day.

count i see is 110...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,173935,00.html

Divers Seek Train Crash Survivors

Sunday, October 30, 2005

VELIGONDA, India — Army divers searched Sunday for survivors and the dead in the submerged cars of a train that derailed and plunged into a rain-swollen river a day before in southern India, killing at least 110 people, officials said.

The accident occurred early Saturday in the town of Veligonda (search) in Andhra Pradesh (search) state after flash floods washed away a portion of the track.

Ten more bodies were found downstream overnight, raising the death toll to 110, said state Home Minister K. Jana Reddy.

Scores of passengers remained trapped inside the railcars, five of which lay on their sides, partially submerged. One of the cars rested atop another.

Rescuers swam to the train to help pull out the injured. Soldiers were lowered onto the cars from a helicopter to cut through the top and retrieve passengers.

Railway officials were waiting for cranes to reach the accident site in Veligonda, about 50 miles east of the state capital, Hyderabad, to lift the submerged cars from the water.

Officials said the train — an engine and 17 cars — hit a portion of track that had been washed away by flash floods, causing seven coaches to derail. The 10 remaining cars were pulled to a safe section of the track.

Rains have battered southern India for more than a week, claiming at least 90 other lives in Andhra Pradesh and the neighboring states of Tamil Nadu (search) and Karnataka (search). Most of the victims drowned, but some were electrocuted or crushed under falling buildings.

Three days of particularly heavy rain caused three reservoirs to breach their banks, triggering the flash floods, said R. Velu, a federal junior minister for railways who visited the accident site.

Rains also washed away roads in the area, slowing rescuers and ambulances trying to reach the accident site.

Every day, at least 13 million people use India's state-run rail network, which is plagued by accidents. Around 300 accidents involving trains occur in India each year — most of which are blamed on lax safety standards.

In early October, a train traveling at least six times the speed limit derailed in central India, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more.

Do you celebrate Divali?

happy Divali to you !

Coincidently, Eid & Divali are almost side by side with each other this yr.

and its a public holiday here for both Eid & Divali, so I get a week 's off.

your pespective of the whole Muslim-Hindu debacle is one sided.

I have become quite jaded in my old age. It's not Islam I hate, it's religion in general. Islam is just easy to pick on because of the massive number of murderous psychopaths it attracts and the hilarious lengths the "all cultures are equal" people will go to defending it. Not a day goes by that someone isn't declaring a Fatwa on something or other. I mean no disrespect to the followers of that religion. I am sure most of them aren't like thier leaders. Just like a majority of Americans are not like W.

I hate the fire-cracker aspect of the festival...child labor, air and noise pollution...otherwise its fun..people are happy...new clothes...good food etc...anyway I think I've outgrown "festivals" and stuff...doesn't matter too much to me...

Yeah it's a bit hard to get that name changed in my brain I've grown up calling it Bombay....

I refuse to call it Mumbai...fascist Shiv Sena can kiss my ass.