The Hindu : Front Page : Fierce fighting rages in Mumbai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 28, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Fierce fighting rages in Mumbai

Meena Menon

NSG rescue operation under way as death toll touches 125, hundreds evacuated from hotels

— Photo: AFP

A LIFELINE ARRIVES: Trapped guests and staff of the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai prepare to be rescued by fire department personnel on Wednesday night. The top floor of the seafront hotel was ablaze, after it was attacked by heavily armed terrorists.

MUMBAI: Deafening blasts and fierce gun battles continued late into the night on Thursday at two five star hotels and Nariman House in South Mumbai as the elite National Security Guard (NSG) and the Army grappled with terrorists who have been wreaking havoc on the financial hub since Wednesday night.

Maharashtra Director-General of Police A.N. Roy said that four suspected terrorists were killed in the Taj Mahal operation and that more deaths were likely. He held himself back on the number of people who may still be inside the hotel, though people have been evacuated throughout the day. Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor said the Taj Operation was nearing an end and that most of the hotel's occupants were evacuated.

(A PTI report that came beyond midnight said all but one of the terrorists holed up in the hotel had been killed in a commando raid, although shots were still heard. One militant was neutralised by crack commandos and is injured, according to NSG Director- General J.K. Dutt. At the Nariman House, seven hostages were rescued.)

Mumbai's latest terror attack, which has claimed 125 lives so far, has numbed its usually resilient citizens. Most people preferred to stay indoors and roads and public transport were almost empty. Schools and colleges were closed. Following a rare decision, the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange remained closed, as did forex and commodity markets.

Twenty to 25 suspected terrorist are estimated to have entered Mumbai, according to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. He put the number of terrorists killed at seven. The random firing by the suspected terrorists injured 294 people, six of them seriously. Even 24 hours after terrorists sprayed bullets and entered the Taj Mahal hotel, the Oberoi/Trident and Nariman House, the ordeal showed no sign of abating. NSG personnel, the Military Police, the Army and the Navy, commandos and the State Reserve Police Force were waging a battle. Gunshots and explosions were heard intermittently. The NSG personnel are said to be carrying out small explosions to gain access and to create tunnels to help evacuate those trapped.

At the landmark Taj Mahal Hotel, they were positioned at various places. Another team was combating the terrorists inside. The top portion of the hotel caught fire late on Wednesday night and huge plumes of smoke were seen. Later, fires were seen in other parts of the building throughout the night and on Thursday into the night.Rescue operations began early on Thursday and rescuers did their best to help those trapped. It was a tense situation as cries of help echoed through the night.

Very little was known about how many people were still inside the hotels and how many were held hostage. Officially 400 persons were evacuated from the Taj Mahal hotel and about 70 from the Hotel Oberoi/Trident.

Six army columns were pressed into action apart from 200 NSG personnel.

Mr. Deshmukh denied there was a hostage-like situation anywhere. He said most people had locked themselves inside their rooms. He said the situation would be resolved by Thursday night or Friday morning.

The Chief Minister said nine persons had been detained. He denied any knowledge of the group to which the terrorists belonged. The State had received no advance information on the attack. Investigations were on to confirm if the men came by boats. They possibly landed at the Gateway of India.

The police cordoned off the entire Trident hotel. Truckloads of NSG and Marine commandos went inside in batches. People were still inside and gunfire and blasts continued through the day.

As the day wore on, the picture of terror strikes all over the city became clear and the government reported 13 incidents of firing, starting from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus at 9.21 p.m. The station was peaceful on Thursday.

Blasts took place at the Taj, BPT Colony at Mazgaon, the Oberoi/Trident (three blasts), the Colaba Market and in a taxi at Vile Parle. Hand grenades exploded at Cama Hospital and on Free Press Road.

Mumbai terror attacks in pictures

Mumbai terror attacks in pictures - 2

Mumbai terror attacks in pictures - 3

Ratan Tata’s press meet - Podcast

Related stories:

TERROR ATTACKS IN MUMBAI

Centre rushes NSG commandos

Earlier terror strikes in Mumbai

Terror strikes Mumbai, over 147 killed

46 killed as twin blasts rock Mumbai

Major terror attacks in 2008

Terror strikes Assam, 62 killed