World | India
Chef thankful to be alive
"All I wanted was to save my hands because I cook with them. Now when I tell you that I am fine, I just mean that my hands are okay," said Nitin Minocha.
- Staff Report
- Published: 00:41 December 2, 2008
- Taj Chef Nitin Minocha at a hospital in Mumbai.
- Image Credit: Anjana Sankar/Gulf News
All I wanted was to save my hands because I cook with them. Now when I tell you that I am fine, I just mean that my hands are okay," said Nitin Minocha.
The 34-year old Taj chef told Gulf News that after his left hand was injured, he covered the wound with his chef's coat and ran outside, hoping his hand could be saved.
Nitin is being treated at Bombay Hospital and doctors said he will have to under go reconstructive surgery.
Describing the night of horror, Nitin, who has worked at the Taj for 12 years, said he was at the Golden Dragon restaurant on the first floor when he heard the first gunshot in the lobby.
"I saw through the door that a person had been shot. At first we thought it was some gang war. After some time, we saw the fire in the dome and explosions inside.
"There were other chefs and kitchen managers around and we decided to move all the guests to Chambers on the same floor via Wasabi and so we kept them inside the restaurant," he said, adding that true to the spirit of Taj hospitality, they even made sandwiches and tea for the terrified guests.
It was at around 3am that staff received orders from hotel security to move the guests out of the hotel, he said.
"From the back door of the Chambers kitchen, the path leads to provisions, next to which is a spiral staircase that takes you down to the Times Office, which is the staff entry gate.
" We took guests out in groups and I am sure that almost 90 per cent of the guests from the three restaurants on the first floor were evacuated safely," explained Nitin.
Reliving the terrible experience, the chef said he was shot while he was standing close to the staircase.
"There was a hole in my hand and blood was pouring out. I covering the wound and ran downstairs - they were chasing us down the staircase. I do not know whether the people behind me were hurt or not. As we got to the exit from the Times Office, they were still firing. I ran out into the street shouting, 'They are cowards - Kill them!'"
He made his way to the police station near Cafe Leopold, which had also come under attack. Since there was no ambulance or vehicles at the police station, the police instructed two civilians to take him to St George Hospital on their bike. "On my way, I called my uncle and said I was being taken to the hospital," Nitin said.
His wife Priya said she was in touch with her husband every fifteen minutes after they heard about the terrorist attack.
Nitin said he did not know how to react to the tragedy, in which close colleagues like Chef Vijay Banjia, Chef Kaizaad and others had lost their lives.
"We have all been together for so many years and I do not how to react. When I look at my hands or touch my fingers - which haven't lost their sensitivity - I feel I am lucky," Nitin said.
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