REMEMBER WHEN

Gold Coast Weekend Bulletin Saturday Nov. 29 2008

INDIAN officials said four Australians were killed in the Mumbai attacks and officials were desperately trying to locate 37 others believed to have been at sites hit by the terrorists.

“We are urgently seeking to confirm the safety and welfare of 37 Australians who may be still in high-risk areas,” said a Foreign Affairs Department spokesman last night.

“The exact number of casualties remains unclear.”

Indian police said the death toll could climb beyond the 130 confirmed dead after militants armed with grenades and automatic weapons attacked hotels, a restaurant, a hospital and other sites.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said 36 Australians were unaccounted for.

Indian commandos ended a 41-hour siege at the OberoiTrident Hotel in the financial hub of Mumbai by killing two suspected Islamic militants and rescuing a number of hostages. They also found a large cache of explosives.

Twenty-four bodies were found inside the hotel after rescue operations were completed.

“The Oberoi-Trident is under our full control. Two terrorists were killed in the encounter and some pistols and handgrenades have been recovered from the scene,” said J.K. Dutt, director general of the elite National Security Guard commandos.

He did not elaborate on the number of victims, hostages freed or people still trapped.

Mr Dutt said forces were now searching every room in the hotel for hidden guests and to defuse any live grenades.