08 December 2008

Oberoi counts cost of Mumbai terror attacks

The chairman of the Oberoi hotel group has called for a united stand against terrorism after two of the companyÃ¢â¬â¢s hotels came under attack in Mumbai, India.

Four guests, 18 diners in restaurants and 10 staff lost their lives. Three guests, four visitors and two staff were injured and remain in hospital.

Oberoi group chairman P.R.S. Oberoi said that 135 guests were evacuated from The Oberoi in Mumbai and 316 from the Trident hotel.

It is not know when the hotels will re-open.

Oberoi said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœWe all must stand united against such acts of terrorism.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœThese acts of terrorism seek to disrupt our normal daily lives. If we bow down to such pressure, we are helping the terrorists to succeed in their mission.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœOur hearts go out to the families of all those who have lost their lives or have been injured due to this act of terrorism.Ã¢â¬~

He added: Ã¢â¬ÅâœI must mention that had it not been for the courage and presence of mind shown by our staff members, the casualties may have been much more.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœDuring the ordeal, many resident guests called our executives and the helpline number we had announced on our website and on the television channels. All those guests who called were advised to stay in their rooms till the arrival of the rescue teams. This saved the lives of many people.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœWe are assessing the damage of the Trident and The Oberoi.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœFrom our preliminary assessment, the damage at The Oberoi appears to be much more than at the Trident.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœAt this point, to is very difficult to tell you when we can re-open each of these hotels. However, our effort is to open both hotels as soon as we can.Ã¢â¬~

by Phil Davies