World | India
Eyewitness from Dubai recounts Mumbai horror
"I was fortunate to have managed to escape the hostage situation at the Taj hotel located near the Gateway of India" said Jacob Joseph Thuthanparambil, a Dubai- based Indian who had gone to Mumbai to attend a meeting.
- By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:34 November 27, 2008
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Dubai: "I was fortunate to have managed to escape the hostage situation at the Taj hotel located near the Gateway of India" said Jacob Joseph Thuthanparambil, a Dubai- based Indian who had gone to Mumbai to attend a meeting.
Jacob who works at DVV media at the Dubai Media City was at the lobby of Taj hotel when the gunmen opened fire indiscriminately at those around.
"I heard a loud explosion and the firing and all those present at the hotel lobby were bundled into the hotel basement by the hotel staff. I had come down to Mumbai to meet a business client at the Taj hotel. There were people running everywhere. It was a panic situation," he said.
Jacob said that gunmen were just going around shooting and had granades "as you see in video games".
"It went on for 15 to 20 minutes. After they caused an impact, the gunmen moved away and that is when managed to escape with some others. The roads outside wore a deserted look and the first thing that crossed my mind was to get to the Four Seasons in Worli where I was staying," said Jacob.
Luck favoured him once again an he found a taxi driver who was willing to take him to his destination.
"I will be grateful to that taxi driver. Mumbai is known as a city that never sleeps but yesterday night there was not a single person on the roads. The cafes were all shut down. The area where the Taj is located is a posh area located in south Mumbai and is frequented by Western tourists in large numbers," said Jacob.
No sooner had he reached the safety of his room, when Jacob received a telephone call from his friend who said that the gunmen had held hostages, mostly westerners, at the Taj.
"From what I saw an until I got a taxi there was no indication that the situation was anywhere near to getting under control," said Jacob who is wondering whether he will be able to get back to Dubai on the first avialable flight.
"I am not sure if I can," he said.
Do you know anyone who has been affected by this? Have you spoken to them? What have they said? Tell us what
Your comments
I have many relatives and friends in Mumbai but do not know how many had been affected. I was in Mumbai when 13 bomb blasts, within a span of five hours, took place in 1992. However, the city limped back to normalcy fast and the attendance in offices the next day was more than 90 per cent. Mumbai is a great city and no terrorist organisation can demoralise it. My sympathy goes out to the people who died in this dastardly attack. It is high time that politicians come together and pass tough laws and not play the blaming game.
L. V. S. Narayanan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 27, 2008, 13:05
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