Dozens of People Killed in Mumbai Attacks

Note: I had not posted this news story earlier because it originally seemed to be a small incident, which of course later morphed into a much larger attack on civilians. In addition, it was a continuing story and it was not clear what was going on, so I was waiting until a reputable news source wrote a proper article.

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By PAUL BECKETT, GEETA ANAND, ABHIJIT BASU and SUBHADIP SIRCAR

Dozens of people were reported killed in blasts and gun attacks across south-central Mumbai late Wednesday evening, and gunmen were believed to have taken hostages in two of the area’s most popular hotels for business travelers and tourists.

At least 78 people were killed and 200 more were injured in the attacks, according to a top state official. Johnny Joseph, chief secretary for Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, told the Associated Press that the death toll could rise further.

Gunmen were reported inside the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Oberoi Hotel, two of the city’s fanciest hotels, and television reports said three senior police officers, including the head of Maharashtra’s anti-terror squad, had been killed at the Taj. Reports also said 15 foreigners had been taken hostage in the Taj. Three foreigners, including a Belgian and an Indonesian, also were reported taken hostage in the Trident hotel, which is connected to the Oberoi, according to NDTV news channel.

A major fire broke out on the top floor of the Taj Mahal hotel, spreading along the side of the old part of the building. The lobby of the Oberoi was also reported to be in flames. Mumbai police commissioner A.N. Roy told NDTV television that at least seven incidents had taken place. He said police were treating those responsible as terrorists who had “opened fire indiscriminately.”

The incidents were concentrated in the swanky Colaba district near the southern tip of the city, India’s commercial and financial capital.

Indian Home Affairs Minister Shivraj Patil said the attackers had kept explosives in vehicles and had been firing at people in the hotels. He said he had been told by Mumbai police that “four or five” people had been killed in the Taj and the Oberoi.

Shots were also fired at the Leopold restaurant, one of the most popular with foreign visitors to the city. Other incidents were reported at a cinema, a hospital and at the main train terminus in the area.

Mr. Roy said police continued to battle the gunmen. “The terrorists have used automatic weapons, and in some places grenades have been lobbed. The encounters are still going on and we are trying to overpower them,” Mr. Roy said, according to the Associated Press. India’s army has been requested to be on stand by to help civilian authorities.

< click here to read the rest of the Wall Street Journal article >