The Hindu Business Line : Trident Oberoi secured

Mumbai, Nov. 28 The terror siege at three different locations in Mumbai seemed never ending as the Taj hotel and Nariman House continued to be riven by explosions and gunfire right through Friday.

The total death toll in the city from the attacks was 149 and the injured 289 as at 2 p.m., according to the Union of Minister of State for Home, Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal.

The situation at the Taj appeared to have ended, but flared up again.

At a news conference in the Capital in the afternoon, the Special Secretary for Internal Security, Mr M.L. Kumawat, said up to half a dozen terrorists could still be at the Taj hotel, and two or three still at Nariman House.

Three bystanders near the hotel, including one journalist, were injured in the crossfire between security forces and the intruders.

At Nariman House, a place described as a Jewish centre, commandoes were air dropped by helicopter on to its roof. The police had to hold back the huge crowds around as the building is located in a congested area.

Security forces said they expected to seize control of both places by the end of the day.

Over 90 rescued

At the Trident Oberoi, commandos of the National Security Guards wrested control from the terrorists in the late afternoon, the chief of NSG, Mr J. K. Dutt, confirmed. Two terrorists had been killed at the hotel complex, he said. Security forces recovered two AK47 rifles and one pistol and some unexploded hand-grenades were being defused, the official said.

Over 90 persons there were brought out to safety, some in pyjamas, some in fine dinner clothes of Wednesday night when the attacks had started. Mr Jaiswal said at a news conference on Thursday, that 26 bodies had been found there.

(Taj officials put the death toll at their hotel at between 60 and 70; but many more bodies could yet remain at the hotel)

The head of the Marine Commandoes (Marcos) unit, his face covered with a balaclava, said his commandos had seen around 15 bodies in a single room at the Taj. They had also seized a bag containing dry fruits, ammunition, several credit cards of both Indian and international banks and cash.

They could have recaptured the Taj much earlier; but innocent civilian lives had to be protected and that was their priority, he said.

Liuetenant General K. N. Thamburaj, commanding the army here, said almost all the guests and staff at the Taj had been moved out.

According to Mr Jaiswal, the total death toll in the attacks as at 2 p.m. was 123, including eight foreigners and not including the 26 bodies yet to be recovered from the Oberoi Trident; the injured numbered 289, including 22 foreigners.

High-profile names

The list of the dead and the rescued at the two luxury hotels included many high profile names from the corporate circuit, including the non-executive Chairman of YES Bank, Mr Ashok Kapur.

Several victims at the Trident-Oberoi were not people who had checked in to stay there, but residents of the city who were dining or at meetings at the restaurants or business rooms in the hotel.

Security tightened

Security was tightened across well known establishments in the city including the Reserve Bank of India and the stock exchanges.

Schools and colleges remained closed for the second day; cinema halls were also ordered shut.

Apart from the loss resulting from two days’ closure, the city would take several days to recover from these attacks, said a corporate official.

The havoc wrecked at the two five-star hotels itself takes away the venues for important events in the city.

The Prime Minister himself had been scheduled to attend an event on Saturday at one of the hotels.

Related Stories:
Mumbai terror: Day 2
We don’t have crisis infrastructure: Tata

More Stories on : Terrorism | Hotels | Security

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Cyclone Nisha’s remnant proves a soaker

GDP grows at 7.6% in July-Sept

Tax revenues decline in Oct

Currency futures gain strength on volatile rupee

Check out from hotel, airline stocks

Trident Oberoi secured

Empty trains, easy traffic flow tell the tale of fear

Will safety concerns weigh on auto investments?

Platinum prices may decline to $700/oz

Insurance cos bracing for large claims

Markets this week

Market volatile; sentiment hit

More than 20 firms line up for BSNL’s WiMax project

YES Bank’s Ashok Kapur killed in terror attack