A RECAP OF THE DAY THAT SHOCKED MUMBAI

November 26, 2008, is a date that’s etched in our conscious. Just hte mention of 26/11 is enough to give us chills. It is the day when the ‘City of Dreams’ became the target of ferocious terror attacks. The next three days saw the megapolis gripped by terror, with the city witnessing grenades being lobbed and weapons being fired at prominent venues including the CST railway station, hotels, and several other buildings, killing scores and wounding many. 10 terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba entered Mumbai through the sea route and carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks. It thus took four days for our security forces to kill all the terrorists and capture Mohammed Ajmal Kasab alive. But till then most of the damage was already done and the city bore the scars for years. Call it the ‘Spirit of Mumbai’, but the city was back to its daily business within hours. On the ninth anniversary of that horrific day, let’s revisit those those painful memories.

CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ TERMINUS

The city’s busiest railway station was attacked by two terrorists Ismail Khan and Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist that was caught alive. Khan and Kasab entered the passenger hall at around 9:30 pm and opened fire using AK-47 rifles. The assault ended at 10:45 pm after killing 58 people and injuring 104. A railway announcer, Vishnu Dattaram Zende saved several lives by alerting the commuters and asking them to leave the station from the back gate.

CAMA AND ALBLESS HOSPITAL

After Kasab and Khan’s failed attempt to climb up the CSMT office due to resistance from the railway police, the two headed to Cama and Albless Hospital, one of the prominent hospitals for women and children. The duo entered the hospital from the rear entrance. The terrorists were engaged by a group of policemen for 45 minutes. Later, the duo threw hand grenades on the policemen, thus killing two and injuring several others. The duo then left Cama Hospital and hid behind the bushes near Rang Bhavan and opened fire on a police jeep. The firing took the lives of three senior police officers Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte. Constable Arun Jadhav was the only survivor but was severely wounded.

LEOPOLD CAFE

The historic Leopold Cafe has been city’s one of the most iconic restaurants.On Nov 26, 2008, the cafe was attacked by two attackers, Shoaib alias Soheb and Nazir alias Abu Umer with gunfire and grenades during peak hours between 9:30 pm and 9:50 pm, leaving ten dead and injuring several others. The cafe was opened four days later but was again shut for security measures. Later, after a month of renovation the cafe was opened but it till date continues to have bullet marks on walls and mirrors as a reminder of the horrific incident.

THE TAJ MAHAL PALACE HOTEL

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel The attack charred the interiors of the luxurious Taj hotel. The walls of the hotels were marred by bullet holes and grenade blasts and corridors with blood stains. The hotel was brought back to full glory and was reopened to guests after 21 months of the attacks.

At the Taj, firefighters rescued 200 hostages from windows using ladders during the first night. A number of European Parliament Committee on International Trade delegates were staying at the Taj when it was attacked, but none of them were injured. The Taj’s heritage wing was completely gutted during the 26/11 attacks, but it was completely renovated within a year.

OBEROI TRIDENT

Another hotel attacked was Oberoi Trident. Over 30 people were killed in the attack here.

NARIMAN HOUSE

Nariman House, also known as Chabad House, a Chabad Lubavitch Jewish centre in Colaba was attacked by two terrorists during the 26/11 attacks. The residents were held hostage. The adjacent buildings were evacuated by the police and the local residents were asked to stay indoors. A naval helicopter took an aerial survey of the area and NSG commandos were called. 9 hostages were rescued on the 1st day and on the 2nd day the commandos stormed the house. After a long battle, NSG commando Havaldar Gajender Singh Bisht and both the terrorists were killed. Six of the building’s occupants, including Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, who were running the centre, were killed. Rivka was five months pregnant Their twoyear-old son Moshe survived the attack after being rescued by his Indian nanny, Sandra Samuel.