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7:44 AM
Jashan Mirpuri scans the faces of the hostages that are slowly trickling out of the Oberoi and the Trident hotels, in the hope that one of them
is his daughter. "Both my daughters had gone to Tiffin [the popular restaurant at the old Oberoi for dinner. One of my daughters escaped. But I haven't seen my second child, or her husband, since November 26,'' he says, the anguish clearly visible on his tired face. News of the operation coming to an end, and the sight of the NSG and army reinforcements are of little comfort.
At Tiffin, relatives say, that the terrorists barricaded the doors, locking the people inside, before moving on to the other rooms and floors. A few people, like Mirpuri's daughter, escaped through the kitchen backdoor. But he can't get through to the rest of his family, and has been standing outside the hotel since 10am in the morning. Leaving is not an option for him or the other family members whose loved ones are trapped in the hotel.
At the time of going to press, there were eight blasts (probably grenades) heard along with sporadic firing, sometimes as long as 20 minutes continuously. The ambulances, with the injured and the dead, depart under the blanket of smoke, leaving the people outside clueless.
The hostages who have been freed-about 30 to 40 at the time of writing this story-are being shepherded out via a side entrance, near Inox and taken to the nearby Air India Building for safety. A few flash wan smiles and victory signs for the cameras, before they leave. A group of eight people who work at Morgan and Stanley were released. But the Lufthansa and Air France crew are still trapped inside the hotel.
The Oberoi and Trident hotels are believed to have had 90% occupancy on November 26, with an additional 9,00 to 1,000 hotel personnel on duty. Many did manage to escape, like Esperanza Aguirre, the Spanish regional president of Madrid. She had come to Mumbai with a delegation of Spanish nationals, in the hope of forging business ties with companies here. She managed to escape, and is now safe home in Madrid, but two of her male colleagues are still trapped on the 14th floor. According to the Spanish Consulate the men are alive. Chandresh Vyas, the vice president of Bipico, however, was not so lucky. He was shot in the shoulder while trying to escape on the night of November 26, but he was taken hostage. Vyas's second attempt to escape was successful, and he emerged from the hotel at 11.30am.
To say that the mood is bleak is an understatement. The hotel has been cordoned off from three sides: at the Inox multiplex, Marine Drive and at the back, near the Express Towers. The lights in the hotel rooms - where many people have locked themselves in - are constantly changing, from dim night lamps to bright yellow. But you can't see anyone, except for the occasional heavily-armed terrorist.
Niren Shah's friend and colleague, Vikram Ramakrishnan, is in one of the rooms on the 21st floor. "He kept contacting us on the phone. He said, `I'm locked in my room, but I'm scared. I can hear sounds'. We told him to sit tight, and keep his documents and I-card ready,'' says Shah. At the time of going to press, he was still in his room. Actor Ashish Choudhary, along with his father Inder, are waiting anxiously for news of his sister Monica Chhabria, and her husband, Ajit. "We heard that they were herded into the banquet room,'' says Inder, who the information from a common friend who managed to sneak out. We are praying that they are well,'' says Inder. Another blast can be heard, and the people outside stand on alert. Even the police, guarding the crowd, are tense.
There's another development: people are bringing their families and children to watch the events unfold. A man walking his dog has stopped to watch the action. But Jashan Mirpuri and the others are looking to the entrance, hoping to see a familiar face.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
is his daughter. "Both my daughters had gone to Tiffin [the popular restaurant at the old Oberoi for dinner. One of my daughters escaped. But I haven't seen my second child, or her husband, since November 26,'' he says, the anguish clearly visible on his tired face. News of the operation coming to an end, and the sight of the NSG and army reinforcements are of little comfort.
At Tiffin, relatives say, that the terrorists barricaded the doors, locking the people inside, before moving on to the other rooms and floors. A few people, like Mirpuri's daughter, escaped through the kitchen backdoor. But he can't get through to the rest of his family, and has been standing outside the hotel since 10am in the morning. Leaving is not an option for him or the other family members whose loved ones are trapped in the hotel.
At the time of going to press, there were eight blasts (probably grenades) heard along with sporadic firing, sometimes as long as 20 minutes continuously. The ambulances, with the injured and the dead, depart under the blanket of smoke, leaving the people outside clueless.
The hostages who have been freed-about 30 to 40 at the time of writing this story-are being shepherded out via a side entrance, near Inox and taken to the nearby Air India Building for safety. A few flash wan smiles and victory signs for the cameras, before they leave. A group of eight people who work at Morgan and Stanley were released. But the Lufthansa and Air France crew are still trapped inside the hotel.
The Oberoi and Trident hotels are believed to have had 90% occupancy on November 26, with an additional 9,00 to 1,000 hotel personnel on duty. Many did manage to escape, like Esperanza Aguirre, the Spanish regional president of Madrid. She had come to Mumbai with a delegation of Spanish nationals, in the hope of forging business ties with companies here. She managed to escape, and is now safe home in Madrid, but two of her male colleagues are still trapped on the 14th floor. According to the Spanish Consulate the men are alive. Chandresh Vyas, the vice president of Bipico, however, was not so lucky. He was shot in the shoulder while trying to escape on the night of November 26, but he was taken hostage. Vyas's second attempt to escape was successful, and he emerged from the hotel at 11.30am.
To say that the mood is bleak is an understatement. The hotel has been cordoned off from three sides: at the Inox multiplex, Marine Drive and at the back, near the Express Towers. The lights in the hotel rooms - where many people have locked themselves in - are constantly changing, from dim night lamps to bright yellow. But you can't see anyone, except for the occasional heavily-armed terrorist.
Niren Shah's friend and colleague, Vikram Ramakrishnan, is in one of the rooms on the 21st floor. "He kept contacting us on the phone. He said, `I'm locked in my room, but I'm scared. I can hear sounds'. We told him to sit tight, and keep his documents and I-card ready,'' says Shah. At the time of going to press, he was still in his room. Actor Ashish Choudhary, along with his father Inder, are waiting anxiously for news of his sister Monica Chhabria, and her husband, Ajit. "We heard that they were herded into the banquet room,'' says Inder, who the information from a common friend who managed to sneak out. We are praying that they are well,'' says Inder. Another blast can be heard, and the people outside stand on alert. Even the police, guarding the crowd, are tense.
There's another development: people are bringing their families and children to watch the events unfold. A man walking his dog has stopped to watch the action. But Jashan Mirpuri and the others are looking to the entrance, hoping to see a familiar face.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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