A bomb hidden in a milk container killed two people during evening prayers at a sacred Varanasi ghat, with Indian Mujahideen claiming responsibility.
Key Facts
- Date
- 7 December 2010
- Deaths
- 2 (including a two-year-old girl)
- Injured
- 38
- Location
- Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to Dashashwamedh Ghat
- Bomb concealment
- Hidden inside a milk container
- Claimed by
- Indian Mujahideen (via email)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The blast occurred one day after the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, an event that triggered nationwide religious riots killing over 2,000 people. The Islamist militant group Indian Mujahideen subsequently claimed responsibility, suggesting the timing was deliberate. Varanasi had already experienced a deadly serial bombing in 2006 that killed 28 people.
On 7 December 2010, a bomb concealed inside a milk container exploded at Sheetla Ghat in Varanasi during the evening aarti prayer ritual on the banks of the Ganges. Thousands of worshipers and tourists were gathered on the stone steps at the time. Two people were killed, including a two-year-old girl, and 38 others were injured.
Following the explosion, a railing broke amid the ensuing panic, causing a stampede that increased the number of injuries. Three people, including the two-year-old's mother, were critically wounded. Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility via email to Indian media, heightening security concerns at religious sites across India.