Wednesday, July 12 2006 18:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Sydney: Australia stands ready to provide Indian investigators with help in forensic or intelligence matters following the train blasts in Mumbai, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Wednesday.

Seven blasts hit commuter trains and stations during evening rush hour in the financial capital Mumbai Tuesday, killing 190 people and wounding hundreds. Downer said a memorandum of understanding on counter-terrorism had been signed with the Indian government in 2003 and this allowed for such cooperation. "The normal situation in relation to India is that they like to do these things on their own. But having said that we would be very happy to provide forensic assistance through our police or other forms of intelligence assistance that they might want," Downer said.

"We certainly make that offer to the Indians and if they'd like to take up that offer we'd like to help them at this very terrible time," he said.