Two near-simultaneous blasts tore through the Indian city of Hyderabad late tonight, killing at least 34 people in what a senior state official said was a suspected terror attack. "We have 34 people officially reported dead and more than 50 injured. Fifteen of them are in serious condition," R.V. Chandravardan, a top administrator of Hyderabad, told AFP.

Seven years ago, it was a place of serene contemplation. Now it is a vast, gaping chasm, filled with dust, noise and what looks like rubble, with signs warning that hard hats must be worn. This is the niche which used to house the world's tallest Buddha - 55 metres high. In it you can still see slight swellings where its feet used to be, and ghostly traces of where the head and neck were.