The Hindu News Update Service

Ahmedabad (PTI): At least nine serial blasts in crowded market areas in the space of 20 minutes rocked the Gujarat capital on Saturday night leaving two killed and 28 injured.

The low-intensity explosions occured at eight areas of Maninagar, Isanpur, Narol circle, Bapunagar, Hatkeshwar and Sarangpur bridge, Sarkej and Odhav and created a wave of panic.

There were two blasts in Maninagar and the first blast occurred in this area at 6.45 pm. The second blast here occurred near LG hospital. Maninagar is the constituency of Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The Ahmedabad blasts came a day after the multiple explosions in Bangalore in which two persons were killed.

Police said at least two had died and 25 injured, some of them seriously,in the blasts. The injured have been rushed to civil hospital and LG hospital.

Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said in New Delhi there were eight blasts. Unconfirmed reports said there were 13 blasts.

The explosion in the sensitive Sarkej area occurred in a CNG bus.

Some of the bombs were believed to have been placed in cycles eerily similar to the Jaipur blasts on May 13 in which 65 persons died. A couple of bombs were reported to have been placed in tiffin boxes in a modus operandi similar to the explosions outside a Lucknow court last year.

President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and appealed for calm.

Mangled remains of a bus, cycles, motorcycles and an autorickshaw were seen at the blast sites which was splattered with blood.

Complete panic spread as people ran for their lives almost leading to a stampede in the areas ripped by the blasts.

One body was seen on the road waiting to be retrieved by police who had a touch time to keep away curious onlookers and vehicles.

One state government CNG bus in which one of the blasts occured was ripped through the middle.

The outer body of the bus was completely smashed while surprisingly most of the seats remained intact including the CNG tank.

Blood was seen splattered inside the bus and near the foot board.

The scene outside the civil hospital was tense with people thronging the palce even as ambulances with sirens were seen driving right between them.

"There is heavy traffic jams in areas around Mani Nagar, the CM's constituency where one of the blasts took place Number of ambulances are also seen zipping around," said Udit, a city resident.

Forensic personnel were also rushed to the blast scenes.

BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, who represents Gandhinagar parliamentary cosntituency, accused the Centre of being soft on terror.

Asked whether he felt that BJP-ruled states are being specifically targetted, Advani said "I can't say" but went on to add its is clearly a "sinister design" on the part of terrorists to disturb peace.