Nov 26, 2008 10:33 pm US/Central
Massacre In Mumbai: Dozens Dead, Hundreds Injured
Local Indian Community Is On Edge
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Gunmen opened fire on at least seven high-volume locations across Mumbai, India on Nov. 26, 2008, killing dozens of people. A police officer helps to patrol a street in this screen grab taken from a Sky News TV report.
CBS
Terrorists blast into the heart of Mumbai with a clear mission: hotels under siege, hostages taken and a city on lockdown. Chicago's Indian community is stunned and frightened over this coordinated and deadly attack.
More than 10 hours later gunshots are still ringing in India's largest city. Tonight, a curfew is in place around the Taj Hotel where hostages are still inside. Ten sites were struck including luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals, and a crowded train station.
CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports at least 82 people are dead, well over 200 are wounded. Officials say at least six of the attackers have been killed.
Imagine the Peninsula and Drake hotels, Children's Memorial Hospital and Union Station being overtaken by terrorists. That's akin to what's going on in Mumbai, India and it has set the city on edge.
The terrorists stormed their targets in the middle of the night. Witnesses say they came in to one of Mumbai's luxury hotels with automatic weapons and grenades, looking for Westerners and ultimately taking hostages.
"There was a lot of smoke and they, I guess there were bombs of some sort," said Rakesh Patel who escaped the attack. "Me and my friends escaped down a fire exit. They wanted foreigners because they were asking for American or British passports."
As the attacks escalated, reports of more than 80 casualties trickled out of India. The city's anti-terrorism chief is reportedly among the dead.
J.V. Lakshmana Rao is the managing editor of the India Tribune in Chicago. He was just in Mumbai's airport on Sunday and is stunned at the terrorists' ability to carry out such an apparently organized attack.
"I call it 9-11 of Bombay," Rao said. "This is an intelligence failure because no one can plan such a massive attack without preparation."
His co-worker Rohan D'Abreo agrees with him. D'Abreo has family right outside Mumbai. They are okay, but tell him the city is in chaos.
"It's very chaotic, that's the first word that comes to mind," D'Abreo said. "It's very tense and people don't really know what's going on. The police department there has been completely thrown into disarray. And they've actually called in the army. What struck everybody as so surprising was the ferocity and the speed at which the attacks took place."
Mumbai has been attacked before. It is considered India's commercial and financial center, making it a likely target. Many in Chicago's Indian community have been glued to TVs trying to get more information and hoping the attacks come to an end.
"Everybody who is my relatives friends, they are okay over there," said Shakeel Khan. "But still I'm worried about it."
"Anybody who's doing this is bad," said Rashed Khan. "They are not human beings."
CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports that some passengers headed to India at O'Hare Airport are concerned about the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
There is an American Airlines flight leaving Wednesday night for Delhi with continuing service to Mumbai. CBS 2 spoke with people who are putting loved ones on that plane or flying there themselves.
"My mother does have a concern and so do I because she's traveling by American Airlines and I saw the news today on TV," said Sadhna Sinha. "We're kind of scared - something like this, this is really horrifying and shocking."
"Up until now, India really has been peaceful," said traveler Manish Garg. "Nothing of this sort has ever happened especially in big cities so I am a little bit concerned."
Both Sinha and Marg said they've seen terrorism in India, but nothing quite like this.
A group calling themselves the Deccan Mujahedeen is claiming responsibility. It's a group terrorism experts have never heard before. The U.S. is condemning the attacks.
And tonight, President-elect Barack Obama has talked to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and India's ambassador and is monitoring the situation.
CBS 2's Dana Kozlov and Kristyn Hartman contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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