Indian police have seized a huge cache of arms and explosives in the southern city of Coimbatore where more than 60 people died in a series of bomb blasts at the weekend.

The haul included 500 pipe bombs, 500 petrol bombs, 1,000 electric detonators and 200 gelignite sticks which were found in a small shop in the city 250 miles (400 km) southwest of Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu state.

The Press Trust of India agency said no arrests had been made in connection with the seizure.

Police have detained more than 600 people in connection with a series of bomb blasts in the city which killed 56 people on Saturday.

One bomb which failed to detonate at the weekend went off on Tuesday killing four boys who were playing cricket nearby.

No group has claimed responsibility for any of the blasts but supporters of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was due to hold a major rally in Coimbatore on Saturday, have pointed the finger at Muslim extremists.

The explosions happened as BJP leader L K Advani was scheduled to address an election rally but he escaped injury after being delayed.

BJP leader L K Advani is thought to have been the bombers' target

Election authorities have moved the polling date in Coimbatore from February 22 to 28.

Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral accused Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of involvement in the Coimbatore blasts.

The ISI has been frequently blamed by Indian leaders for violent incidents and is widely perceived as having backed Muslim secessionist rebels in Kashmir.

The authorities have banned two Islamic groups in Coimbatore after Saturday's blasts.
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