MUMBAI: Mumbai, the city which never sleeps, was brought to its knees on Wednesday night as it came under an unprecedented multiple terror attack bringing areas from the South to the North of the metropolis under its grip.
As the siren blazing Toyota Qualis of the Mumbai police blazed passed, people could be seen running helter skelter, at times even crawling to save themselves from at least five near-simultaneous firings and explosions rocking areas in the vicinity of posh hotels in South Mumbai.
Even as heavily armed police stormed into Taj Hotel, just opposite Gateway of India where suspected terrorists were still holed up, blood soaked guests could be seen carried out into the waiting ambulances.
Bellboys could be seen rushing the injured out on luggage trolleys.
The scene at the nearby Trident hotel was more horrific as the glasses lay shattered on the ground even as fire could be seen raging out of the lobby.
Windshields of cars parked nearby had broken because of suspected bomb being set off at the hotel.
At the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal (CST) railway station, hordes of mediaperson could be seen jostling for space as the area was cordoned off with no media being allowed near it even as an encounter went on inside.
Armed with AK-47 rifles and grenades, a couple of terrorists had entered the passenger hall of crowded railway station and opened fire and threw a grenade killing two to three persons on the spot.
The busy city which is known for its night life wore a deserted look as shops closed down even as police wearing bullet-proof jackets could be seen frisking people in fear of terrorists taking advantage of the chaos to escape.
"My wife and mother travelling to Goa. After putting them on train, I heard shots being fired, which made me run out with the crowd. But I have manged to speak to them and they are fine," a visibly shaken Milind said.
Another eyewitness said, "I was just boarding a train when I saw two persons with rucksacks suddenly turn and began firing. I just managed to to save my life and run through a subway. I also heard a grenade shot."
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal (CST) railway station which is always crowded has been cordoned off with hundreds of commuters stranded as trains have been cancelled.
Outside the Oberoi hotel, people were seen running with their hands raised apparently to dissociate themselves from any mistaken identity those of terrorists.
It was not immediately confirmed how many people were holed up inside the hotel and what the motive was for the attacks, an eyewitness said.
Several bodies were carried out by the policemen and the bloods stains could be seen on the streets.
"It was horrific. I heard few gunshots and saw people in panic. I saw over half a dozen bodies being taken out from the hotel," the witnesses said.
Some cars were blown up high in the air and other vehicles were also damaged in the blast which followed the firing in the hotels. Glass panes were scattered all around the area.
"It was really scary. It was like the sound of loud crackers, not one but several, we just ran out of there," said a tourist who had been at a restaurant in the Taj Hotel.
