Mumbai on Edge

Two days after a massive terror attack on Mumbai, rumors of new strikes Friday at the Bombay Stock Exchange and Chhatrapati Shivaji train station sent waves of jittery residents onto the streets, as merchants closed their shops only to find hours later, that the rumors were false. While there were no new assaults, gunfire was heard in the city for a third straight day as authorities sought an unknown number of terrorists still at large. The violence began Wednesday with coordinated attacks on several high-end hotels frequented by foreigners, claiming the lives of at least 160 people, according to Indian authorities, who added that the number would rise.

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Many of the trendiest nightclubs and discos in the exclusive Colaba section of Mumbai, India's financial capital, have been closed since the attacks, and other nightspots closed early on Friday. "Most of our residents are too scared, and I understand that, but still I felt it was time to unwind and that we need to de-stress," said Ravi Bharati, 26, outside of the Zinc nightclub Friday night. "Soon it will be better, soon this will end."

But residents and city officials were still cautious, fully aware that the siege isn't yet over. The roads and highways from the airport to the heart of Mumbai were mostly free of traffic on Friday morning, cutting down considerably on the travel time. Moving closer to Colaba, where much of the fighting has been taking place, more shops and businesses were shuttered and fewer people were on the streets in this normally bustling city of some 15 million people.

Occasional explosions and gunfire were still being heard coming from the Taj Mahal hotel after nightfall Friday, as officials continued to remove bodies. Rapid reaction police in blue camouflage uniforms had taken positions behind trees and walls up to the edge of the hotel late Friday as a fresh contingent of around 100 commandos arrived in military trucks in preparation for what authorities hoped would be a final assault. Military snipers could be seen on cranes and fire department ladders overlooking the hotel.

At the hospitals near Colaba, the scene was chaotic as relatives and crowds tried to get information on the condition or, in some cases, the whereabouts of family members and friends. Authorities strictly prohibited entrance to all but close relatives at the Bombay Hospital as well as at the St. George Hospital.

While Indian television coverage has been full of testimonials and stories on the bravery of the hundreds of soldiers, police and commandos attempting to flush out the terrorists, some people are beginning to question how the crisis has been handled. "I'm very proud of our police and our soldiers," said Raja Keswani, near a police checkpoint in the city. "They've been very brave and it makes me proud as an Indian and also as a resident of Mumbai. But this should have ended. Why is it taking so long to end this attack? Already it's been many days."

Sanjay Nirupam, director of the ruling-Congress party in Maharashtra state, said, "There is no doubt that our intelligence service needs to be improved—there are great holes in our intelligence-gathering capability and that can't continue. We should have had some sort of advance indication that that this attack was going to happen." The attacks are sure to be a central issue in the provincial elections scheduled for next week.

© 2008