'Dastardly Acts Of Terrorism'

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged calm after near-simultaneous bombings ripped through a bus and two crowded markets in the Indian capital ahead of a major Hindu festival, killing at least 58 people and wounding dozens of others.

Police declared a state of emergency and closed all city markets. The prime minister denounced the apparently coordinated bombings, describing Saturday night's attacks as "dastardly acts of terrorism."

"We shall defeat their nefarious designs and will not allow them to succeed. We are resolute in our commitment to fighting terrorism in all forms," he said in a brief television statement

Asked who was responsible, he would only say "there are several clues." The Indian government faces opposition from dozens of militant groups — particularly Kashmiri separatists, some of whom also oppose the peace process between Pakistan and India.

The first explosion hit at 5:45 p.m. in New Delhi's main Paharganj market, leaving behind bloodstained streets and mangled stalls of wood and twisted metal.

CBS Radio News reports that Paharganj is a busy wholesale market, dotted with small, inexpensive hotels frequented by foreign travelers, particularly backpackers.

Within minutes came an explosion at the popular Sarojini Nagar market and the bus blast in the Govindpuri neighborhood. Police said at least 60 people were wounded in the first blast and dozens in the other two.

The attacks targeted the many people shopping just days before the festival of Diwali, a major Hindu holiday during which families exchange gifts, light candles and celebrate with fireworks. The markets where the blasts occurred often sell fireworks that are elaborate and potentially dangerous.

"When I got up, there were people everywhere — they were bleeding and screaming," Anil Gupta said about 45 minutes after the blast as he sifted through the wreckage of his jewelry store. Scattered around his feet were bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

The explosions erupted just hours after India and Pakistan began the talks on opening the heavily militarized border in disputed Kashmir to help get food, shelter and medical aid to victims of the Himalayan region's quake, which killed about 80,000 people, most in Pakistan.

Opening the border is extremely sensitive for India because of a 16-year insurgency by Islamic militants in Kashmir who seek to make the Indian portion independent or unite it with Pakistan.

But despite the blasts, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said early Sunday that the two sides agreed to open the frontier at five spots beginning Nov. 7. Shipments of aid supplies will be allowed to cross at those points, and Kashmiri civilians will be allowed to cross on foot, with priority given to those with families divided by the border.

Pakistan condemned the multiple attacks in New Delhi.

"The attack in a crowded market place is a criminal act of terrorism. The people and government of Pakistan are shocked at this barbaric act and express deep sympathy with the families of the victims," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement that the bombings were "another sad reminder that terror knows no borders and respects no religion. Fighting terror is our common struggle, and we stand with the people of India as they bring to justice those responsible for these cowardly acts."

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw called the blasts "yet another example of terrorists' cynical and callous disregard for human life. On behalf of the British government, I would like to offer the people of India my support and deepest sympathy."

Home Minister Shivraj Patil urged people to stay off the streets.

Patil said 39 people were killed in Sarojini Nagar, a popular shopping district in southern part of the capital filled with everything from knockoff designer clothing to kitchen crockery. Fire department official Sham Lal said at least 16 people died in the Paharganj market blast, and three were killed on the bus.

Babu Lal Khandelwal, a shop owner in the Paharganj market, said the blast knocked him to the ground.

"There was black smoke everywhere," he said. "When the smoke was cleared and I could see, there were people bloody and people lying in the street."

The blast badly damaged a row of shops, including Khandelwal's clothing store. About an hour later, investigators stood around a small, debris-filled crater about 10 feet from the string of shops.

All around,

A witness to the second blast, Satinder Lal Sharma, said some boys warned him about an unclaimed bag near a tree and he "started shouting 'Run! Run!"' just before the explosion. It destroyed several shops and left the tree charred and without leaves.

Govind Singh, who sells wallets and toys on cart next to a juice shop devastated in the explosion, said at least five people from his village were killed.

The explosion was "so loud that I fell down. Then a fire started," he said.

"I took out at least 20 bodies, most of them were children," Singh said. He and others wrapped the bodies in sheets that were being sold by one of the destroyed shops.

As he spoke someone asked him, "Where is Lal Chand?"

"He is gone," Singh replied, and then started crying.

At Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Dr. S.K. Sharma, the emergency room chief, said his team had received four victims from the first blast who arrived dead and "charred beyond recognition." They were treating 30 injured in the same explosion, he said.

He explained that burns were not caused by chemicals and most shrapnel injuries were from flying glass — not the screws or ball bearings sometimes packed into crude bombs. As he spoke, an ambulance pulled up and paramedics wheeled more victims into the hospital.