Update:

Please watch this clip of NDTV that highlights some of the problems the Mumbai Fire Department dealt with. Hopefully, it will bring some relief to all those frustrated souls. This video shows the extreme nature of the fedayeen attack, the first of its kind on Indian soil. Just think how many lives were saved!

Update:

It is believed that there could be as many as 100 more bodies yet to be uncovered and removed from the Taj Hotel. Far too many nooks and crannies of the hotel have simply been deemed ‘clear’ but not cleared yet. The hotel is on a path to recovery, denial and damage control (in more ways than one).

But the good news still keeps coming:

ND-TV has this nice clip about a public announcer at the main commuter train terminal CST, who should be credited with saving hundreds of lives by non-stop announcing to incoming train passengers to use the back exists, avoid the main platforms or stay put on trains. (where was the control center manager, did he know to Shutdown and keep trains from coming in at all, or was the Center even clued in). In this clip, they talk about the announcer booth staff turning lights off, and coming under fire themselves. But, they continued making announcements.

In this chilling article,  we read about news photo editor Sebastien D’Souza of Mumbai Mirror who ran across the street from his office upon hearing gunshots, and literally stalking the two terrorists who were on rampage at the CST station. He followed them with a long lens camera, at times as close to them as 40-50 feet, shooting one of the iconic photos of the terrorists – ordinarily I wouldn’t wish to ‘recognize’ the cavemen with a photo, but in this case the drama is just compelling – while going about coolly clicking, and dodging the bullets, Mr.D’Souza was also advising commuters to flee to safety. He said the killers were very calm and unconcerned as they went about firing.

Chilling Image - Mumbai Terrorist / Belfast Telegraph

This clip of ND-TV is a wonderful tale of a doctor couple caught in the terrorist seige, and how they gave emergency treatment and saved the life of a bullet riddled hotel employee.

 Below is the screen grab from a  short video clip, of the Jewish boy Moshe being carried away by his caregiver and saviour.

Moshe / Moses - His caregiver/savior

Original Post

As I type this, Indian news tv is reporting that the siege of Mumbai is over, hundreds have been rescued from luxury hotels, but sadly hundreds have also perished at the hands of the cavemen.

The Taj Mahal  hotel has been laid to waste, the Jews of the Nariman House are dead. Indiatimes website here, gives a country by country tally of foreigners who died during the terrorist attacks.

And now the grim truth, news wires are buzzing at this moment that the Taj Hotel is still under inspection, no cameras allowed thank almighty, but the security folks are cautioning that the hotel is one huge death ground. ‘Bodies everywhere’ is one phrase used.

Anti Extortion Cell Chief Vijay Salaskar

Final Journey of Mumbais beloved ATS chief Hemant Karkare

Hemant Karkare - Vijay Salaskar - Ashok Kamte

 I will leave it to others to put up the grim photos of carnage or the manic visage of the terrorists themselves. Here, I would prefer to honor the fallen heroes of Indian security and law enforcement.

Funeral of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan

In no particular order, names of some of the security personnel who gave their lives in the battle against the cavemen. And their native places in India.

NSG Commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnanof Bengaluru (Bangalore City)

ATS Chief Hemant Karkare of the City of Mumbai  (State of Maharashtra)

NSG Commando Gajendar Singh Bisht,  rank Hawaldar, birthplace Dehradun, State of Uttaranchal

Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte, City of Mumbai

Assistant Inspector General Nana Saheb Bhonsle, City of Mumbai

Deputy Inspector of Police, Baburao Sahibrao, City of Mumbai

Police Constable Rajiv Khandikar, City of Mumbai,

Assistant police inspector Tukaram Umbale.

I should also mention the name of Times of India journalist/editor Sabina Sehgal Saikia.  She died on the sixth floor of the Taj hotel. And skipper Amar Singh Solanki  of fishing trawler The Kubera,  he was found dead in his boat, bound, gagged and shot. The motor vessel apparently used by the terrorists to sail (from Pakistan?) to Gateway of India.
 

Someone after my own heart has already uploaded a video to YouTube, here it is:

I’ve been scouring the web for good posts and summaries, since I don’t watch tv and online feeds of Indian tv give me a headache, some of my finds will be linked in updates. Like this one: 

WWW-SENIOR MAGAZINEhas a nice round up of the anecdotal account of unsung heroes.