Dozens of People Killed in Mumbai Attacks

Reuters

A reporter talks on her phone as smoke is seen coming from Taj Hotel in Mumbai.

At least 101 people were reported killed in blasts and gun attacks across south-central Mumbai late Wednesday evening, and gunmen were believed to have taken hostages in two of the area's most popular hotels for business travelers and tourists.

Police and gunmen were exchanging occasional gunfire at Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels and an unknown number of people were held hostage, said A.N. Roy, a top police official. Officials said at least six militants had been killed since the overnight attacks began around 9:30 p.m. Pradeep Indulkar, a senior official at the Maharashtra state Home Ministry said 101 people were killed and 287 injured.

Later Thursday morning, police loudspeakers declared a curfew around Mumbai's landmark Taj Mahal hotel, and black-clad commandos ran into the building as fresh gunshots rang out from the area, apparently the beginning of an assault on gunmen who had taken hostages in the hotel. Ambulances were seen driving up to the entrance to the hotel and journalists were made to move even further back from the area.

A series of explosions had rocked the Taj Mahal just after midnight. Screams were heard and black smoke billowed from the century-old edifice on Mumbai's waterfront. Firefighters sprayed water at the blaze and plucked people from balconies with extension ladders. By dawn, the fire was still burning.

The attackers specifically targeted Britons and Americans at the hotels and restaurant, witnesses said.

An Indian media report said a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen had claimed responsibility for the attacks in emails to several media outlets. There was no way to verify that claim.

The NDTV news channel showed several yellow and black rubber dinghies on a beach near the hotels, apparently used by the gunmen to reach the area.

Authorities believed seven to 15 foreigners were hostages at the Taj Mahal, said Anees Ahmed, a top state official. It was also unclear where the hostages were in the hotel, which is divided into an older wing, which was in flames, and a modern tower that was not on fire.

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European Pressphoto Agency

Locals gathered near the site of an explosion near the airport on Mumbai's Western Express Highway late Wednesday.

Indian Hotels Co. Thursday said it is monitoring the situation in and around its Taj Mahal Hotel. The company is cooperating with the police and the government "to ensure the safety and security of all our guests and staff," it said in a statement.

The fire broke out on the top floor of the Taj Mahal hotel, spreading along the side of the old part of the building. The lobby of the Oberoi was also reported to be in flames. Mr. Roy told NDTV television that at least seven incidents had taken place. He said police were treating those responsible as terrorists who had "opened fire indiscriminately."

Indian Home Affairs Minister Shivraj Patil said the attackers had kept explosives in vehicles and had been firing at people in the hotels.

Where the Attacks Took Place

Gunfire was reported at luxury hotels, a restaurant, police headquarters and a train station.

Shots were also fired at the Leopold restaurant, one of the most popular with foreign visitors to the city. Other incidents were reported at a cinema, a hospital and at the main train terminus in the area.

Mr. Roy said police continued to battle the gunmen. "The terrorists have used automatic weapons, and in some places grenades have been lobbed. The encounters are still going on and we are trying to overpower them," Mr. Roy said, according to the AP. India's army has been requested to be on stand by to help civilian authorities.

One guest at the Taj said the first incident began at about 9:45 p.m. local time when flashing lights and bangs were visible and audible outside the hotel. Taxi drivers, who wait in droves in front of the hotel, roared off. About 10:20 p.m., there were two loud explosions right outside the hotel, the guest said. "My instant reaction was, "It's a bomb,'" he said. A hotel representative later phoned, advising guests to remain in their rooms with the lights off and not to open the door until told by security that it was safe to do so. At 12:45 a.m. local time Thursday, another big blast was reported by a guest at the Taj.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the U.S. is unaware of any American casualties at this point. "We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks" and stand ready to support India, he said.

Indian television reports said a little-known outfit called Deccan Mujahideen had sent a letter claiming responsibility for the attacks but the reports could not be confirmed and no other information was immediately available. The Deccan Plateau is a plateau that covers a large part of southern India, including Maharashtra.

The attacks come after a series of blasts attributed to Islamist terrorists over the summer and autumn in other cities around India, including the capital, New Delhi. National security already was expected to be a major electoral issue when the nation goes to the polls early next year; elections must be held before May. The Congress Party, which leads coalition governments at the national level and in Maharashtra state, home to Mumbai, is already facing pressure to do more to staunch terrorism.

The attacks will put further pressure on the battered Indian rupee at a time when foreign fund inflows have dried up amid the escalating global financial crisis. The benchmark Sensex index on the Bombay Stock Exchange, which is in the area where the attacks took place, has fallen more than 50% from its peak foreign funds pulled out.

The 105-year-old Taj hotel is one of India's most iconic buildings, commissioned by the Tata family to counter the British colonists' exclusionary "whites only" policy at what was then the city's best hotel, Watson's Hotel. The hotel has been expanded to include a modern tower next to the old hotel. The hotel is owned by Taj Hotels, part of India's leading conglomerate, Tata Group.

Consular Call Center

The State Department has established a Consular Call Center for Americans concerned about family or friends who may be visiting or living in Mumbai, India. The number is (888) 407-4747.

Opened in 1903, the Taj Mahal Hotel overlooks the Arabian Sea. The hotel has 565 rooms and is home to some of the city's most exclusive, expensive restaurants as well as the popular Insomnia nightclub. Many dignitaries and celebrities visiting India stay there.

Mumbai is a frequent target of attacks. In March 1993, 13 explosions resulted in 257 deaths and over 700 injuries. The blasts were orchestrated by an organized crime syndicate. In March, 2003, a bomb attack on a commuter train in Mumbai killed 11 people. In August of that year, twin car bombings in Mumbai killed at least 52 people and injured 150. Indian officials blamed a Pakistan-based terror outfit for the crime. In July 2006, seven bomb blasts occurred at various places on the Mumbai Suburban Railway, killing 200 people.

—Paul Beckett reported from New Delhi; Geeta Anand, Abhijit Basu and Subhadip Sircar reported from Mumbai. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Write to Paul Beckett at paul.beckett@wsj.com

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