India: Blasts, Gunfire and Terror in Mumbai

In a series of blasts and shoot outs, the city of Mumbai appears to have come under attack. According to the news, there appear to be at least seven different locations in the city that have been attacked. In an unprecedented sort of terror, a combination of gun fire, blasts, grenade blasts have been used to attack cinema halls, hotels, hospitals, and other public places. A mainsteam media report states

At least four people are reported to have been killed and 15 are injured as unidentified groups of gunmen opened fire in at least four places across south Mumbai on Wednesday night.

In a one line post, a view on markets and life evokes the confusion and shock of the event.

Sirens outside my window. Please make it a safe night.

On Twitter, several people are tweeting from Mumbai, and there appears to be very little information available. There is some amount of speculation if this is indeed a terror attack. Mumbai used to witness gang wars, but these haven't been heard of in a decade. Twittering Mumbai

An online community for engineers posts the events as they happen

10 minutes before (10:45 PM IST) there is an Open Firing and Explosion reported in South Mumbai. Till now there is no Casualities reported. Atleast 15 Injured and 1 policeman injured. AK47 used in Firing .

So far 5 Confirmed Incidents reported in Shooting. 3 Confirmed Dead !

Firing reported in CST (Chatrapati Shivaji Terminal), Taj Hotel, Colaba Causeway and VT Station. Reports Confirmed its a Terror Attack. In VT Station atleast 15 people Feared Injured.

A post at Retributions reminds us that the threat of terror is very real in India. A post at Staccato articulates a similar thought – of the mindless terror attacks that have repeatedly struck various cities in India.

Bomb blasts in Bombay as we speak.
Phones jammed. Can't reach my family.
I've gone through this before.
Not panicking.

Another post echoes the fear and helplessness.

it is extremely scary to watch all this on the news.
i'm immoderately shaking in fear right now. i never get so shaken up by news. it's the distance that's doing this. if i was in bombay i might not have been watching the news so carefully.

People in the city blog the sheer shock. The attacks have come at a late hour, and after the office rush hour. Himadri writes

There was this friend of his who had just returned from Colaba. A firing had just occurred near Bade Miyan where he was eating. And as we were discussing and dialling random numbers on the cellphone, we heard three explosions within seconds or minutes of each other. The ground shook. This was not just another night.

We switched on the television. And the firing still goes on outside, in batches of 4-5 rounds. As I am writing this, there are sirens of vehicles, police vehicles echoing in my ear. There are 6 people in my living room now, watching the news. Two of them were sitting at Leopold, where there was a shootout earlier. One is a broker, and another one his friend. I am here, my roommate is here. Aunty is in her room, Babloo is cursing everyone to disturb his sleep. And We are together. Only unity can fight this.

Even as this post is being written, there are reports of more attacks and encounters in the city.

49 comments

  • […] I am livid with rage. Mumbai is attacked for the umpteenth time. […]

  • […] to be the best source for real time citizen news on the Mumbai terrorist attacks, but blogs, like Global Voices, are also beginning to write about […]

  • Lisa Mirando

    Hi — is anybody an eyewitness to what is happening in Mumbai right now. If so leave your name/no. Lisa

  • I think the frustrating issue for me as an observer is that I have very little information about who is behind the attacks, and what their motivations are. It’s a very us vs. them reporting situation right now.

  • I am fully compassionate for these events and pray for the well being of everyone injured and their families, in today’s Mumbai terror attack.

    But friends, don’t you think that we humans, all of us are responsible for this. Some amongst us deliberately hurt, abuse, and kill poor, helpless, speechless animals. Rests of us are responsible for this ugly face of humanity, by simply watching silently, neglecting or allowing the abuse and molestation of these innocents. But, who cares and how many care? But, if even a single human life is jeopardized, the entire world watches and sobs!

    Look at the way animals are tortured, abused, and killed by many of our fellow human beings for their bloody taste buds, fun, recreation, research, filthy needs, or ritualistic sacrifices in the name of God or religion.

    http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=2&language=en-US&p=animal%20sacrifice&assetType=image&src=quick#

    I think humans deserve worse than such kind of things and some day humanity will kill humanity and not any natural calamity! The curses of those small baby animals whose mother die and who doesn’t get love of his mother, those mothers whose babies are killed in the name of juicy tender chickens and for so many filthy reasons, the curses of those suffered souls will come back to us like boomerang and bring such fateful events.

    May God bless the humanity with peace, love, and compassion and brings consciousness and wisdom to all those responsible for destroying the beauty of nature and true humanity!

  • Daljeet

    Over 90 have been killed so far, and several takes hostage by the terrorists, and someone on the blog earlier calls this a Mumbai “gangwar”. Grow up!

    Watching the telecast live on NDTV it looks like a war zone in Mumbai. Is this really happening in India have we become so hapless…and powerless.

  • Daljeet Singh

    It looks like the terrorists were Bangladeshis and Pakistanis and of course our own home-grown Muslims. They know that they can attack at will, at any time without getting caught. Sophisticated weapons and are smuggled in which they use in the encounter with innocent people and our police is helpelessly fighting them with ‘lathis’ and pistols and that too without even having on themselves a bullet-proof jacket.

  • @Daljeet, do you have any links to support those claims?

  • anand

    Another disaster of hapless congress government. All Indians should unite and get rid of this radical congress party who always have soft corner to terrorists termed minorities.

  • Patel

    Well Done Media.. Like CNN IBN. They covers Full STORY. I have just watched the CNN IBN live on their website. They show the open firing, the injured people taken to the hospital.

    BUT,…B..U..T, How the hell you are covering it. For covering the NEWS, these shameless people put the camera over the HEAD of Military people, who are helping out the proces… Pushing those Military/police people and making more work for them. Reporters are Rushing to the Injured People.. Just to take a Picture of they injury? Like They are a Monument?

    If you see one of the footage, in which they show the terrorist are firing from the Police van. In the end of the footage, one person got injured on his hand and he was running here & there for help. The camera person sits besides him and covers this NEWS. Camera man moves this other hand, which is supporting the injured hand and try to Cover the FUll BLOODY HAND in his NEWS.

    So, What is more important… NEWS Covering for the People sitting at HOME OR Helping the GUY suffering infront of You?

    Does This Greedy NEWS CHANNELS have any HUMANITY in their Motto of Increasing TRP of their BRUTAL NEWS CHANNELS?

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