Heroism of bus driver prevented a bloodbath

While two of the bombs were hidden in busy shopping areas, the third had been planted on a packed bus. Delhi buses are notoriously overcrowded, and witnesses say there were more than 100 passengers on board when one of them spotted the bomb.

If the driver, Kuldeep Singh, had hesitated, there could have been a bloodbath on the bus. Instead, he hurled it from the bus just seconds before it went off, and was critically injured as it exploded. Because of his actions, nobody was killed in the bus bomb, and only nine people were injured. Delhi's bus drivers generally have a reputation for aggressive and reckless driving. But yesterday Mr Singh and the bus conductor, Budh Prakash, who was also injured, were being hailed as heroes.

One of the passengers spotted a bag that had been left behind, three seats behind the driver. He alerted Mr Singh. When no one came forward to claim the bag, Mr Singh and the conductor noticed a wire protruding from it. Mr Singh immediately parked the bus and ordered all the passengers to evacuate.

Courageously, neither the driver nor the conductor fled. Mr Singh hurled the bag as far from the bus as he could. But as he threw it the bomb went off, seriously injuring him.