The Hindu Business Line : We don’t have crisis infrastructure: Tata

Mumbai, Nov 27 “We still don’t have a crisis infrastructure in place in the city. If we don’t have we will be subjected to a great deal of lack of protection,” Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Group, told reporters on Thursday, reacting to the terror attack in Mumbai which caused damage and destruction to Tata-run Taj Hotel in the city, apart from the human losses.

Mr Tata returned to Mumbai from an overseas trip on Thursday morning.

“The terrible wanton attacks last night on innocent people and the destruction of prominent landmarks in India deserve to be universally condemned. My sympathies and condolences go out to all those who have suffered, been injured, and those who have lost their loved ones in this terrible act of hatred and destruction,” he said in a statement issued here.

“We must show that we cannot be disabled or destroyed, but that such heinous act will only make us stronger. It is important that we do not allow divisive forces to weaken us. We need to overcome these forces as one strong unified nation,” he said. Mr Tata could not visit Taj hotel due to security reasons.

Mr R.K. Krishna Kumar, Vice Chairman of Tata Group’s Indian Hotels, which owns the Hotel Taj at Apollo Bunder, said it is tough to say when the operation [to flush out the terrorists] would get over.

Mr Kumar said they have not been able to determine exact casualty but it could be in the region of 50–60 people, adding that the army now has control of the hotel. "The first attack took place on the heritage wing [of the Taj Hotel] and then on the tower block," he said. Mr Kumar added that the family of the hotel’s senior management was caught in the fire, and some of the hotel’s staff including five chefs lost their lives.

Mr Kumar said he has been in touch with Tata Chief Ratan Tata. "He is standing by to visit," he said.

Over a 100 people, including a foreign tourist and a top counter-terror officer, were killed and about 280 injured as terrorists struck in the heart of Mumbai in planned and synchronised attacks.

Ratan Tata's press conference: Audio

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