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Updated: Death toll climbs in Mumbai attacks
MUMBAI (Reuters) - At least 80 people were killed in a series of attacks apparently aimed at tourists in India's financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday night, with television channels saying Westerners were being held hostage at two five-star hotels.
At least 250 people have been wounded, police said.
There was also an attack on the Cafe Leopold, perhaps the most famous restaurant and hang-out for tourists in the city, and at hospitals and railway stations.
"I guess they were after foreigners, because they were asking for British or American passports," said Rakesh Patel, a British witness who lives in Hong Kong and was staying at the Taj hotel on business. "They had bombs."
"They came from the restaurant and took us up the stairs," he told the NDTV news channel, smoke stains all over his face. "Young boys, maybe 20 years old, 25 years old. They had two guns."
Police said targets included the luxury Taj and Oberoi hotels, with television stations showing the lobby of both hotels on fire and people being evacuated from the Oberoi with their hands on their heads.
Fresh explosions were heard in the early hours of Thursday.
"An encounter is going on at the two hotels, the situation is grave," Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister told CNN-IBN TV.
"Our men are on the job."
Maharashtra state police chief A.N. Roy said attackers had fired automatic weapons indiscriminately, and used grenades, adding that they were still holed up in some buildings.
"These are terrorist strikes in at least seven places," he told the NDTV news channel.
"Unknown terrorists have gone with automatic weapons and opened fire indiscriminately. At a few places they even used grenades.
Some of the injured were evacuated from the Taj on the hotel's golden luggage carts, while waiters in black and white formal wear and chefs were seen leaving the Oberoi.
"The lobby of the Taj hotel is on fire," a police spokesman said. "We are trying to find out how many people are inside the hotel."
Sourav Mishra, a Reuters reporter, was with friends at the Cafe Leopold when gunmen opened fire around 9:30 pm. He has received injuries and is in St. George's Hospital.
"It was a big noise and one car was involved, definitely not more than that."
India has suffered a wave of bomb attacks in recent years. Most have been blamed on Islamist militants, although police have also arrested suspected Hindu extremists thought to be behind some of the attacks.
*Updated*
No one has claimed responsibility for the latest Mumbai attacks.
Police said targets included the luxury Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, with television stations showing the lobby of both hotels on fire and people being evacuated from the Oberoi with their hands on their heads.
Hemant Karkare, the chief of the police anti-terrorist squad in Mumbai, was killed during the attacks, police said.
In Washington, the White House condemned the attacks. France, current president of the European Union, also condemned the attacks and hostage-takings.
A European official was among the wounded.
"My hotel is surrounded by police and there are gunmen inside," European lawmaker Ignasi Guardans told Spanish radio from the Taj. "We are in contact with some deputies inside the hotel, with one in a room and another hidden in the kitchen. There's another official hurt and in hospital."
Fresh explosions were heard in the early hours of Thursday.
"An encounter is going on at the two hotels, the situation is grave," Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister told CNN-IBN TV. "Our men are on the job."
Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil said there were around four or five attackers in each of the two hotels.
"They have attacked hotels, they have attacked the hospitals, they have attacked the railway station," he said, adding that two attackers had been killed and two arrested.
KOREANS AND EUROPEANS CAUGHT UP IN ATTACKS
A driver told Reuters at least 50 Koreans were stuck inside the Taj with their drivers waiting outside.
"We were just getting ready to pick them up, when we heard the first blast, police did not let us get past and they (the Koreans) are not answering the phones," Deepak Aswar, the driver said. Europeans were also caught up in the attacks.
"I was in the restaurant inside Oberoi and I saw this series of gunshots and death which I don't want to see again," a Spaniard who declined to give his name told Reuters.
"I crawled out into the kitchen and waited there, until I sensed it was all quiet and seemed over."
Maharashtra state police chief A.N. Roy said attackers had fired automatic weapons indiscriminately, and used grenades, adding that they were still holed up in some buildings.
"These are terrorist strikes in at least seven places," he told the NDTV news channel.
"Unknown terrorists have gone with automatic weapons and opened fire indiscriminately. At a few places they even used grenades."
Some of the injured were evacuated from the Taj on the hotel's golden luggage carts, while waiters in black and white formal wear and chefs were seen leaving the Oberoi.
"The lobby of the Taj hotel is on fire," a police spokesman said. "We are trying to find out how many people are inside the hotel."
Sourav Mishra, a Reuters reporter, was with friends at the Cafe Leopold when gunmen opened fire around 9:30 p.m. He has received injuries and is in St. George's Hospital.
"I heard some gunshots around 9:30. I was with my friends. Something hit me. I ran away and fell on the road. Then somebody picked me up. I have injuries below my shoulder," Mishra said from a hospital bed he was sharing with three other people.
The wreckage of a red scooter, the remains of shop awnings and broken glass were strewn across the street.
Armed police, rifles cocked at the hip, set up barricades. Local people were seen yelling at each other, angry that another terror attack had hit the city.
Another Reuters reporter saw a hospital ward full of injured people with bullet and shrapnel wounds. Many people were crying as the injured were brought in on trolleys.
News Source: Multiple attacks in Mumbai kill at least 80 | Reuters
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Damn, multiple attacks. I wonder who is responsible for this. Two hotels under siege and a hospital has been attacked too. Not good.
US
MUMBAI (Reuters) - At least 80 people were killed in a series of attacks apparently aimed at tourists in India's financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday night, with television channels saying Westerners were being held hostage at two five-star hotels.
At least 250 people have been wounded, police said.
There was also an attack on the Cafe Leopold, perhaps the most famous restaurant and hang-out for tourists in the city, and at hospitals and railway stations.
"I guess they were after foreigners, because they were asking for British or American passports," said Rakesh Patel, a British witness who lives in Hong Kong and was staying at the Taj hotel on business. "They had bombs."
"They came from the restaurant and took us up the stairs," he told the NDTV news channel, smoke stains all over his face. "Young boys, maybe 20 years old, 25 years old. They had two guns."
Police said targets included the luxury Taj and Oberoi hotels, with television stations showing the lobby of both hotels on fire and people being evacuated from the Oberoi with their hands on their heads.
Fresh explosions were heard in the early hours of Thursday.
"An encounter is going on at the two hotels, the situation is grave," Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister told CNN-IBN TV.
"Our men are on the job."
Maharashtra state police chief A.N. Roy said attackers had fired automatic weapons indiscriminately, and used grenades, adding that they were still holed up in some buildings.
"These are terrorist strikes in at least seven places," he told the NDTV news channel.
"Unknown terrorists have gone with automatic weapons and opened fire indiscriminately. At a few places they even used grenades.
Some of the injured were evacuated from the Taj on the hotel's golden luggage carts, while waiters in black and white formal wear and chefs were seen leaving the Oberoi.
"The lobby of the Taj hotel is on fire," a police spokesman said. "We are trying to find out how many people are inside the hotel."
Sourav Mishra, a Reuters reporter, was with friends at the Cafe Leopold when gunmen opened fire around 9:30 pm. He has received injuries and is in St. George's Hospital.
"It was a big noise and one car was involved, definitely not more than that."
India has suffered a wave of bomb attacks in recent years. Most have been blamed on Islamist militants, although police have also arrested suspected Hindu extremists thought to be behind some of the attacks.
*Updated*
No one has claimed responsibility for the latest Mumbai attacks.
Police said targets included the luxury Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, with television stations showing the lobby of both hotels on fire and people being evacuated from the Oberoi with their hands on their heads.
Hemant Karkare, the chief of the police anti-terrorist squad in Mumbai, was killed during the attacks, police said.
In Washington, the White House condemned the attacks. France, current president of the European Union, also condemned the attacks and hostage-takings.
A European official was among the wounded.
"My hotel is surrounded by police and there are gunmen inside," European lawmaker Ignasi Guardans told Spanish radio from the Taj. "We are in contact with some deputies inside the hotel, with one in a room and another hidden in the kitchen. There's another official hurt and in hospital."
Fresh explosions were heard in the early hours of Thursday.
"An encounter is going on at the two hotels, the situation is grave," Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister told CNN-IBN TV. "Our men are on the job."
Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil said there were around four or five attackers in each of the two hotels.
"They have attacked hotels, they have attacked the hospitals, they have attacked the railway station," he said, adding that two attackers had been killed and two arrested.
KOREANS AND EUROPEANS CAUGHT UP IN ATTACKS
A driver told Reuters at least 50 Koreans were stuck inside the Taj with their drivers waiting outside.
"We were just getting ready to pick them up, when we heard the first blast, police did not let us get past and they (the Koreans) are not answering the phones," Deepak Aswar, the driver said. Europeans were also caught up in the attacks.
"I was in the restaurant inside Oberoi and I saw this series of gunshots and death which I don't want to see again," a Spaniard who declined to give his name told Reuters.
"I crawled out into the kitchen and waited there, until I sensed it was all quiet and seemed over."
Maharashtra state police chief A.N. Roy said attackers had fired automatic weapons indiscriminately, and used grenades, adding that they were still holed up in some buildings.
"These are terrorist strikes in at least seven places," he told the NDTV news channel.
"Unknown terrorists have gone with automatic weapons and opened fire indiscriminately. At a few places they even used grenades."
Some of the injured were evacuated from the Taj on the hotel's golden luggage carts, while waiters in black and white formal wear and chefs were seen leaving the Oberoi.
"The lobby of the Taj hotel is on fire," a police spokesman said. "We are trying to find out how many people are inside the hotel."
Sourav Mishra, a Reuters reporter, was with friends at the Cafe Leopold when gunmen opened fire around 9:30 p.m. He has received injuries and is in St. George's Hospital.
"I heard some gunshots around 9:30. I was with my friends. Something hit me. I ran away and fell on the road. Then somebody picked me up. I have injuries below my shoulder," Mishra said from a hospital bed he was sharing with three other people.
The wreckage of a red scooter, the remains of shop awnings and broken glass were strewn across the street.
Armed police, rifles cocked at the hip, set up barricades. Local people were seen yelling at each other, angry that another terror attack had hit the city.
Another Reuters reporter saw a hospital ward full of injured people with bullet and shrapnel wounds. Many people were crying as the injured were brought in on trolleys.
News Source: Multiple attacks in Mumbai kill at least 80 | Reuters
--------------------
Damn, multiple attacks. I wonder who is responsible for this. Two hotels under siege and a hospital has been attacked too. Not good.
US
