90 killed in Mumbai terror attack

November 26, 2008 22:40 IST
Last Updated: November 27, 2008 02:49 IST

02:50 AM: Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and Member of Parliament N N Krishnadas, who is staying at the Taj Mahal Hotel, reports that as late as 2:10 AM, explosions could be heard from within the premises.

Krishnadas told CNN that he is holed up in a room, and outside of the noise of explosions and gunfire has no real idea what is happening within the premises.

Meanwhile, the fire that broke out in one of the hotel’s middle floors has been spreading upwards, adding a fresh hazard both to the police and CRPF personnel engaged in the anti-terrorist operation and to the guests within the hotel.

Even as police sources upped the toll in today’s terrorist strikes in Mumbai at 80 and counting, police continue to lay siege to the Taj Mahal Hotel, where two terrorists are believed to be holding at least 15 guests hostage on one of the upper floors of the hotel.

The police are at this point in time unsure whether the two hostage takers are the only terrorists within the hotel.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army has moved into the Oberoi and the Trident, the two other South Mumbai hotels targeted in today’s terrorist strikes.

A battalion of the Indian army entered the Oberoi and began an operation against the terrorists holed up inside. The army was called in after the police took several casualties, including the deaths of some senior officers.

With the army now in charge of this phase of the operation � the first time the Indian army is operating in the city since the 1992 riots � the police has fallen back and is focusing on cordoning off the area.

Vaihayasi Pande-Daniel, reporting for Rediff.com from outside the Oberoi Hotel, reports that with the cordon being drawn tight, people waiting outside are in a state of panic, and desperately searching for information. A group of senior bankers from Hyderabad are among those inside the hotel to attend a conference; their Mumbai-based colleagues are outside, awaiting word of their fate.

02: 25 AM: Mumbai’s Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare died of bullet wounds in the ongoing battle against armed terrorists that is raging across several parts of South Mumbai.

Vijay Salaskar, an officer attached to the Mumbai police who has been famed as an ‘encounter specialist’, was seriously injured in the ongoing gun battle and has been rushed to hospital. In all, seven Mumbai policemen are believed killed thus far.

Meanwhile, Railway Police Chief Ashok Sharma told Rediff.com that at least 40 people were killed inside Mumbai’s nodal Chatrapathi Sivaji Terminus. “The attack started around 9.35 pm,” Sharma said. “Two terrorists were inside. We can confirm at least 40 people killed.”

It is yet unclear whether the terrorists are still on-site, have left, or been killed. Sharma said there had been no firing from within the terminus for the last two hours. “Despite this, we are not allowing people to go into the station as we are worried that the terrorists might have planted bombs or left live grenades in the station,” he said.

Sharma said the official belief is that the two terrorists had sneaked out of the station in the confusion following the original assault.

Sudhir Dalvi, a sub-inspector attached to the Mumbai cell of the Anti-Terrorist Squad, told Sheela Bhatt for Rediff.com that his boss, ATS chief Hemant Karkare, and senior police officers Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte, were killed in an incident outside Mumbai’s Cama Hospital.

“Our chief Karkare, my senior officer Salaskar and ACP Kamte died while engaging terrorists outside the Cama hospital,” a sobbing Dalvi told Rediff.com. “All of a sudden, terrorists threw grenades at Karkare leading to chaos. We are unable to confirm whether they fell to terrorist fire or were killed by the grenades.”

Meanwhile, the army has moved into the Trident Hotel, the third five-star hotel in the South Mumbai region that had been targeted in tonight’s coordinated terrorist strikes.

02:10 AM: It is now believed that 15 people, at least seven of them foreigners, have been taken hostage by two terrorists and are being held on the roof of the Taj Mahal Hotel.

Rakesh Patel, a London-based businessman who managed to escape, told NDTV that the two terrorists, estimated to be in their early 20s, came to a restaurant on the ground floor of the Taj, rounded up the hostages and took them to the 18th floor. Patel, who was one among them, managed at that point to escape.

Patel said the terrorists asked if any of the hostages were carrying American or British passports, and said he got the clear impression that they wanted foreigners.

01:50 AM: Krishnakumar reports from the Juhu region that a bomb went off in a taxi that was speeding along the Western Express Highway from Vile Parle towards Andheri, killing two people and injuring two others.

“The taxi exploded and went up in flames as it sped past the traffic island under the flyover at the domestic airport,” an eyewitness said on phone. “The vehicle, which was up in flames soon after it crossed the traffic signal, was on the left
side. A bystander and a person in the taxi were killed.

Reports indicate that this was perhaps the night’s highest-intensity blast. Krishnakumar reports that the taxi’s doors were found a distance of 50 meters or more away, and body parts of the victims had been thrown even further.

01:43 AM: At least two suspected terroristswere shot dead minutes earlier at the corner of Mumbai’s Chowpatty. Rediff’s Vaihayasi Pande-Daniel, who is on the site, reports that the area has been cordoned off and is swarming with police officers; the Skoda is under guard and a cellphone, a jacket, and items of footwear are strewn around the vehicle.

Meanwhile at the Taj Mahal Hotel, the standoff between police, who have surrounded the hotel, and terrorists who are holed up inside, continues.

A short while ago, power went off in parts of the hotel, adding to the sense of panic and fear. Well known food critic Sabina Sahgal Saikia, who is inside the hotel, told NDTV on phone just now that the guests are terrified, and unaware of just what is happening around them. It is unclear at this point in time whether the power has been turned off by the police as they battle the terrorists.

01:27 AM: Rediff’s Vaihayasi Pande Daniel calls in from the Marine Drive region to report that the approaches to the South Mumbai area have been shut down, and that sounds of firing are audible as far away as Mumbai’s famed Queen’s Necklace stretch, though the source of the firing is unclear.

Meanwhile, a foreign national who managed to escape from the Taj Mahal Hotel, where a state of seige currently exists, told NDTV that armed and masked gunmen were wandering around inside the hotel, looking for people with American or British passports.

The eyewitness account appears to confirm the growing belief among law enforcement circles that this latest attack is aimed directly at foreign nationals — hence the choice of star hotels as prime targets. They further theorize that automatic weapons are being used rather than bombs in order to orchestrate such targeted mayhem.

Meanwhile, the real dangers of the situation are being exaggerated by a proliferation of rumors. One such that has been aired on a few channels including CNN suggested that firing was taking place at the JW Marriott, another five star hotel in the Juhu region of suburban Mumbai. A source in the hotel however confirmed to Rediff just now that there was no alarm at the hotel, and no incident of any kind had taken place.

12:44 AM: A gun battle is ongoing in the Taj Hotel in Colaba. Within the last ten minutes, a guest at the hotel got word out to CNN via email that a grenade had exploded within the hotel premises just then.

Additional Commissioner of Police AN Roy and other officials confirmed that some armed terrorists are holed up in the iconic hotel.

Police officials said they have no information of a hostage situation; they say guests have been sequestered in safe areas of the hotel, and the police are now engaged in flushing out the terrorists from their hiding place.

 

First Test Draw

With the shame performance by Top level batsman India draw first test match against Australia.

Sachin Tendulkar’s dogged innings of 49 out helped India inch closer to a draw against Australia on day five of the first Test at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Monday.

Chasing a challenging target of 299 in a minimum of 83 overs, India reached 130 for three in 48 overs to put themselves in a good position to escape with a draw.

VVS Laxman was unbeaten on 28 from 75 deliveries as the two senior batsmen were involved in a cautious 53-run partnership for the fourth wicket that ate up more than 21 overs.

India were in trouble early when they lost the wickets of Virender Sehwag (6) and Rahul Dravid (5) in the first session.

But Tendulkar brought all his experience into play to rescue India as he stitched a 53-run partnership for the third wicket with Gautam Gambhir, who made 29.

Earlier, Australia batted for 32 minutes on the fifth and final day, adding 35 runs in five overs, before declaring their second innings on 228 for six in 73 overs.

Morning session: (76 runs, 3 wickets, 22 overs)

Anil Kumble started proceedings for India and could have taken a wicket immediately, but he dropped a return off the first ball. Haddin mistimed a drive which went straight back to Kumble, who floored and also injured his finger in the process.

Shane Watson then showed his intent with a couple of boundaries and Kumble and Ishant Sharma, before he was dismissed by the latter. The Aussie all-rounder, who made 41 from 72 deliveries, tried to hit Ishant across the line but got an inside edge, which crashed into his stumps.

Cameron White also looked to attack the moment he came in. He drove Ishant for a boundary through the off-side he faced as Australia looked for some quick runs in the morning as India spread the field.

The visitors batted for 32 minutes on the fifth and final day, adding 35 runs in five overs, before declaring their second innings on 228 for six in 73 overs.

Brad Haddin was unbeaten on 35 from 61 deliveries, with three boundaries, while Cameron White was not out on 18 from 14 deliveries, including two boundaries.

Harbhajan Singh took two for 76 in 27 overs, while Zaheer Khan claimed one for 46 in 17 overs.

Anil Kumble disappointed in his last Test match at his home ground as he finished wicketless in both the innings for a match tally of 160 runs in 51 overs.

(India innings)

This was a real chance for India to score an unlikely victory after Australia opted for a sporting declaration.

All depended on the start they got because once the ball gets old, it is very difficult to get the scoreboard moving on this slow pitches.

India openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir look to get on with things early on as both started with boundaries.

Sehwag (5) got a lifeline early when wicketkeeper Hadding dropped him while diving to the right after the batsman got a regulation edge off Brett Lee.

However, Sehwag could not make the most of it as he fell in the very next over for 6. He tried to play Stuart Clark on the leg side but the ball swung enough to beat the shot and take the back of the bat, which went to first slip in the sixth over of the innings.

Rahul Dravid got off the mark with a classical straight drive off Lee in the seventh over of the innings.

But he did not stay on for long, falling to Lee after scoring just five.

The right-hander tried to flick Lee on the leg side, but was caught brilliantly by Ponting diving to his right at short midwicket to leave India in trouble at 24 for two in the ninth over.

Gambhir survived a close stumping chance off Clark, but the third umpire ruled in favour of the batsman in a very close decision.

Sachin Tendulkar made a cautious start but then looked to raise the tempo with a couple of boundaries in Mitchell Johnson’s first over.

India’s hopes would now depend on veteran Tendulkar, who also has the chance to break Brian Lara’s world record for most Test runs.

Tendulkar is currently 48 runs short of Brian Lara’s aggregate of 11953 runs.

At this venue, only two teams out of nine have successfully chased down a target in the fourth innings, the highest being 195 for 2 by Australia in 1998.

Post lunch session: (89 runs, 1 wicket, 31 overs)

India played out a few quite overs after the break till Gambhir broke the shackles with boundaries in consecutive overs off Mitchell Johnson and Michael Clarke.

Johnson had his revenge soon after when he shattered Gambhir’s stumps with a fast yorker.

The left-hander’s long vigil at the crease ended for 29 that included four boundaries in 81 deliveries.

Debutant leg spinner Cameron White came on to bowl in the 36th over to replace part-timer Clarke was not making much of an impact.

He immediately forced Tendulkar to drive at a wide one, which he edged, but fortunately it went over the slip region.

Tendulkar seemed to have learnt from that mistake and after that just concentrated on playing it safe.

VVS Laxman also weathered the initial storm from the pacers before looking at ease against the spinners.

Laxman loosened up before the tea break as he creamed a few boundaries of the two spinners. He hit White for two boundaries in the final over before to bring up the 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Tendulkar.

Tendulkar showed great maturity to keep the bowlers at bay as he reached 47 not out with four boundaries in 111 deliveries. Laxman also looked quite comfortable having reached 28 from 75 deliveries, having hit four boundaries.

The hosts need 169 runs in a minimum of 35 overs with seven wickets in hand, but it seems unlikely they would go for the target. Australia still have time in their hand and a few quick wickets after tea could work in their favour.