TERROR IN MUMBAI – An eyewitness account
MUMBAI – The Times of India is reporting two terrorists carrying guns tonight took 15 people, half of them foreigners, hostage on the roof of the luxury Taj Hotel. One of the hostages managed to escape.
Two youths in their 20s came to the restaurant of the hotel and took 15 people to the roof of the hotel, Rakesh Patel, a businessman from London who lives in Hong Kong, told a TV channel giving the first eyewitness account of what happened in the iconic hotel in South Mumbai.
“The two young boys came to the restaurant and took us upstairs. We were taken to the 18th floor from where we escaped”, he said.
Replying to a question, Patel said the terrorists wanted to know if any one of the hostages was carrying American and British passports.
They clearly wanted foreigners, he added.
About 200 people were holed up in the hall in the old wing of the Taj hotel when terrorists struck.
Krishna Das, MP, who was among those held up, said they had been advised not to move out of the hall till the police clears the place of terrorists.
He was having dinner with some friends in a restaurant of the hotel when he heard gunshots. The guests ducked under the table from where they had fleeting glimpse of terrorists who were firing indiscriminately.
At least 10 top business executives were also stuck on another floor of the hotel.
Ian Jarrett
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