The bomb attacks on India have struck terror into the heart of thousands of Birmingham families with friends and family living in the region.

Up to 30,000 Hindus live in the Midlands and many were glued to news pouring out of Mumbai after the train network was targeted on Tuesday.

A vigil was held at a city temple where 300 people prayed for victims of the Mumbai bombings.

Dr Krishan Kumar, who hosted the service at the Geeta Bhawan Temple, in Handsworth, said: "We had just been praying for the 7/7 victims and now this. People of all faiths are uniting to condemn these terrorists and continue to fight for justice."

Noor Hussain, chairman of the Stratford Road Business Association, a heartland of the city's Asian business community, condemned the bombers.

The Association, which stretches from Camp Hill to Springfield and has about 700 members, sympathised with its counterparts in the business community targeted in Mumbai.

Noor said: "We have a very large variety of people trading along this route - Pakistanis, Bang-ladeshis, Africans, Caribbeans, as well as Indians. Everybody you talk to is saddened about this. The whole of the community shares the same views.

"On behalf of our community we condemn the bombers. There was no justification to do anything like this."

Jo Thanki, vice president of the Hindu Forum of Britain, who looks after the West Midlands, said she was "saddened" by news of the bombings.

"It would have been devastating news for people seeing this over here," she said. "Many would have been glued to the television watching and wanting to know what happened minute by minute. We abhor any sort of violence and it doesn't happen as far as the Hindu culture is concerned. From the Hindu perspective there is no negativity towards Muslims. We live side by side and I feel external forces are trying to destabilise India."

Jo is concerned about the ability of local agencies to cope in the horrific aftermath. She said: "They don't have the same facilities as us over there. The communication lines are not as good and the health service is not as quick and efficient. All those problems are adding to people's misery."

Mahendra Tabhi, the president of the Hindu Council of Birmingham, said: "There is a certain amount of anger in the community about these bomb blasts, particularly because they targeted innocents. It must have been a very well coordinated event."