Alive
And no, the lyrics of the Pearl Jam song will not be part of this post.
If there’s one thing that I didn’t think I’d ever do when I took to blogging, it’s live-blogging during a bombing/hostage situation.
Today was the premiere of the movie “The President is Coming“. While we were drinking free white wine, courtesy Sula, gunmen armed with grenades and automatic weapons stormed into the Taj (presumably the one in Apollo Bunder) and the Trident in Nariman Point. They were boys of about 20-25 year-olds and apparently they demanded that people with American and British passports to identify themselves. It’s now 12.56 am. The news channels are saying now that the terrorists are dead. Two have been shot at Girgaum Chowpatty. Seven places in South Mumbai have seen explosions and people being taken hostage. In Nepean Sea Road and Colaba, gunfire staccatoed through a reasonably quiet Thursday night. There have been explosions in CST, outside Leopold Cafe, near the Cama Hospital, in Walkeshwar, near the domestic airport and at Vile Parle. Cama Hospital and GT hospital have been taken hostage. There was gunfire around Metro cinema (Fort) and JW Marriott hotel (Juhu).There are rumours that 80 people are dead. A friend has a picture of one of the grenade-throwers. He’s only about 20 years old.
I can’t believe this is my city. I can’t believe I just passed Ramada hotel ten minutes ago and didn’t realise that the little crowd near the gates would end up being a gunfire battle. I can’t believe the Taj hotel is burning. They’ve got hostages in there. More than half are American and British hostages. It’s 1.21am. There’s been a new explosion at the Taj. A friend of mine is in there. His wine glass had a bullet go through it. He said he was being evacuated to the 18th floor except that’s where they apparently took hostages. We can’t get through to his phone. A friend’s sister escaped just as the shooting began. Some of the terrorists have escaped in a police van. Charming.
All this is, however, entirely fitting as fireworks for the premiere of a film centred around the legend that is George Bush.
UPDATE: Gun battles are “ongoing” and there are about 250 injured.
The Oberoi hotel is still under fire. There are 40 hostages in that hotel alone. At Girgaum Chowpatty, helpless looking policemen stand pressed against their jeeps.
Casualties include Vijay Saluskar, one of Mumbai police’s star encounter specialists. I say RIP, though I doubt he will under the circumstances. Hemant Karkare, head of Mumbai’s Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), has also succumbed to his injuries. He was one of two officers who injured during the shooting at Metro cinema. Two other fine police officers have been killed. No one has taken responsibility for these events so far.
The fire continues to rage at Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. There are no fire engines there. No one is nearby. All the lights have been taken out. It’s the fifth floor that is burning. Bloody bodies are coming out of the Taj hotel in the large cage-like trollies that generally carry suitcases.
In the Oberoi, there is a hostage situation developing. No one knows how many people have been taken. Staff are being evacuated steadily and slowly.
Two sets of terrorists have reportedly been killed.
At last count, 12 locations in Mumbai have seen terrorist attack tonight. Two boats, loaded with explosives, were confiscated from the Gateway of India. The encounters continue. It is now 2.11am.
About 40 people have been taken hostage in the Oberoi. The Army have apparently entered the hotel, along with bomb disposal squads. The Army are all around the hotel and naval commandoes are inside.
2.28am - Firing reported in Borivali.
2.33am - NDTV just showed us where policemen are standing, armed with rifles, around the Taj hotel. Because really, what good is a news channel if it can’t inform everyone, including terrorists, watching cable tv where the police are positioning themselves?
So far, no further news of Cama or GT hospital.
2.39am - The Deccan Mujahideen has taken responsibility for the attacks. They sent an email to news organisations.
2.42am - Most of the Taj hostages have been released but the encounter is still “going on”. Those in the new wing have come out but things remain violent in the old wing.
3.30am - A number of terrorists are believed to be holed up in the Taj, whose old wing is engulfed in flames.
3.41am - Arnab Goswami of Times Now decides this is a safe moment to compare this to 9/11. He also asks whether India will take this lying down. So much for responsible journalism. Reports are coming in of about 100 people having been evacuated from the Taj and of the stairwell of the hotel being encrusted with dead bodies.
3.51am - Two terrorists have been killed in Taj. “Two more to go,” said Srinivasan Jain, quoting the police. There’s apparently an encounter taking place outside Bootleggers, a pub in Colaba.
4.14am - The terrorists are still in Trident, along with at least one dead person and many injured. Very little evacuation has happened. Still no news of Cama or GT Hospitals. Reports say 40 hostages.
on Wednesday, November 26th, 2008, 11:56 am in Current affairs, Mumbai, Terror! › 
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Thank you for the update. Who the f*** is the Deccan Mujahideen?
Dude….be safe.
Am linking to you from the metblogs mumbai site.
Please be safe.
Just awful…hope you are safe.
What sort of f*****s fire in hospitals ? These f*****s (yes that’s their name) kill all (Hindus, Christians AND Muslims of mumbai).
Please stay safe .
It is too easy to lash out at “Islam,” rather than at the individuals who purport to act in its name. Before anyone casts any accusations at an entire religion, don’t forget all the other horrible acts that have occurred under the guise of holy war (The Crusades spring to mind). No god did this, people did. And people are dead because of it. Thanks for the updates, be safe.
Stay safe. The west is watching and you’re in all our prayers.
Linking you to RCW.
It is so terribly depressing to see my beloved Bombay being ripped apart at the seams. To top it off, this attack has all but assured the election of the BJP next year. And with it will come its coded rhetoric, and a reinstatement of extreme laws that subvert due process in the name of prevention of terrorism. And the vicious cycle will perpetuate itself.
Just stay safe! Your blog is being monitored by thousands of people around the world! The Mujahideen can’t prevail. They are simple minded killers….criminals.
” And the vicious cycle will perpetuate itself.”
Until you man up and exterminate these vermin.
” Chill is going down spine even sitting thousands of miles ,what they are doing is against Humanity and we should all stand up and face these buthchers leaving behind man made geographical boundaries of identification.” may God give us all the power to stand up in this hour of distress.
Thanks for the updates and PLEASE stay safe.
The left will gently tiptoe around Islamic terrorism and jump straight to police brutality that inevitably follows such events. The right will use this to spread their brand of extremism. The politicians will remain clueless as ever. And my hometown will continue getting butchered.
Stay safe Anon.
Correction: It was the JW Marriott and not the Ramada in Juhu.
so irresponsible of the media. stay safe.
Hello,
I’m a producer with cbc news today at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
We’re looking to speak to eye witnesses to the Mumbai attacks and I read in your blog who was at the Taj. Is there a way of contacting him? You can reach me at carolina.rzeznikiewiz@cbc.ca
Thank you and I look forward to speaking to you soon,
Carolina
Well…..this is just a big blow to the indian government who is too lazy to fight back. I mean, they just barged in through one of our biggest ports in “10″ small boats carrying all their weapons and ammunition. The cops took 45 minutes to arrive, i was there at the scene and am still here, its just devastating to see the Taj in flames. People are rushing out now, seems like its calmed down now. hopefully, there’ll be no deaths.
As far as their coldheartedness goes, theyve killed the General Manager’s Wife and 3 kids. They were the first hostages taken. Killing kids is just savage in my opinion. Yet, we seem to be holding fine and will prevail again. Jai Hind !
The terrorists got their wish - focus the attention of the world on their demands.
I have never lived in Mumbai. But from observing during my visits and reading the
media reports and private blogs, it appears that India seems incapable of decisively
tackling terrorists. What prevents them from getting help from Israel who have effectively
controlled such attacks on their soil? India has been suffering terror sice the 80s when
Indira Gandhi sent the army to attack the Golden temple of Amritsar. It seems there is
no value for human life. The mentality of everyone seems to be ‘is my family ok, my friends ok/
then fine. I don’t have to do anything’ . It is every person for him/herself and totally ‘dog eat dog’.
That attitude has to change.
It is easy to criticize the inability of authorities but somebody has to take charge.
It seems ludicrous that the chief terror cop would put himself at risk ’cause he went
to the Taj in person because there was an MP holed in there! Everyone has to kowtow to
the politician in power!. There is corruption and sycophancy in developed countries too but
in India it knows no bounds and the innocent people seem to pay the steepest price.
Just my 2 cents. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.
I dont understand how those who call themselves Muslims are able to kill other human beings and be e religious person under the Muslim religion. Is the religion being taught falsely?
Please please please stay safe.
This is nonsense - I don’t blame Islam, I blame religion. This is religion killing.
I hope you and your beautiful city stay safe.
Steve
Sydney, Australia
I am horrified to hear about the attacks in Mumbai. My prayers are with the victims and their families.
However, we really need to stop blaming Islam and Pakistan. The terrorists who carry out these types of attacks do not represent any religion. We should look at the root causes of this type of behavior, whatever those causes end up being, rather than immediately leaping to blame one religion or the other.
An interesting view on Indian terrorism from Sri Lanka (well experienced in terror) on what India should NOT be tempted to do in the aftermath of the terror.
http://www.groundviews.org/2008/11/28/is-india-reaping-a-harvest-of-hatred-sown-by-indians-we-have-seen-it-all-before-a-sri-lankan-perspective/
Thanks for sharing. I have a blog covering the very best views and news on terrorism in India at http://www.IndiaAwakening.com. The goal is influence positive change in India on all fronts. I will be adding to it daily. Hope you can take a look. Let me know if you have any feedback. I will add a link to your blog. People must read these accounts.