Articles and News

Mumbai, India--Three explosions rocked the busy Indian city during the evening rush hour July 13, two of which targeted the city's jewelry districts. One took place in the Opera House diamond district in South Mumbai; the other was in Zaveri Bazaar, another popular jewelry district with many gold merchants. The third blast was in the Dadar area of Mumbai.

Pooja Katwani, managing director of Rapaport India, said the two blasts in the jewelry district suggest the industry might be a target. Her eyewitness account can be viewed here. 

Meanwhile, this article on Reuters.com confirms the attacks were targeted at the industry. The coordination of the attacks--within moments of each other--indicates a terror plot, but no group had claimed responsibility at press time. Indian officials said the bombs' construction appeared somewhat amateurish.

(Update, 7-14-11, 7:59 p.m. EDT: This report from Israeli trade publication IDEX Online says a number of diamond brokers are among the confirmed dead.)

Several members of the jewelry industry were involved in the 2008 terror attacks at the Taj and Oberoi hotels in Mumbai, and a number of diamond dealers were among the dead in the series of train attacks that five years ago killed 188 people in Mumbai, said the Reuters article.

Moshe Mosbacher, president of the Diamond Dealers Club in New York, said, "Words cannot properly express our shock and dismay over these cruel and senseless attacks, whose sole aim is wreak havoc and cause suffering in a city that is so important, first and foremost because it is home to so many friends and family. Our hearts go out to the all the victims, the injured and their families.

"The goal of terrorists is to disrupt our regular existence, and we can best combat them by refusing to do that. On behalf of the New York trade, I pledge to our colleagues in India that we will do all that we can to ensure that life will continue as before, and the ties and relationships that connect us will be strengthened. We stand alongside them and the people of India during this difficult time."

At press time, the Times of India reported 131 injured and 17 dead, but it wasn't clear if these numbers were final or if any were members of the diamond or jewelry industry.

More global news reports on the July 13 attacks can be seen here, here, here, here and here.