Armed with AK-47 rifles and grenades, a couple of terrorists entered the passenger hall of CST and opened fire and threw grenades, Mumbai General Railway Police Commissioner A K Sharma said.
The terror strike which began at 1033 PM at Chhatrapathi Shivaji Terminus(CST),formerly known as the Victoria Terminus(VT), claimed 10 lives in the premises of the station alone, police said. Three persons were killed in a bomb explosion in a taxi on Mazegaon dockyard road and an equal number were gunned down at Taj Hotel. The victim in the hotel were its employees.
The lobby of the Oberoi hotel was on fire and the hotel evacuated, eyewitnesses said.
Maharashtra DGP A N Roy said tonight's attack in "at least seven places" is a "terror strike."
Sharma said 30 persons were injured in the CST incident. Commandoes were rushed to the CST which wore a deserted look and train services suspended.
Some people were injured in the firing in Oberoi hotel, and taken to a nearby hospital in police vans and ambulance. Firing was also reported in Taj hotel.
Firing was reported at Colaba, Nariman Point and near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, formerly Victoria Terminus and it was still continuing.
Firing was also reported at Cama Hospital in south Mumbai, police said, adding that a blast was reported in a taxi under a flyover in suburban Vile Parle. A bomb went off in a taxi in Mazegaon dockyard road.
According to the Maharashtra Director General of Police A N Roy "the suspected terrorists struck in a number of places. Terrorists have opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons."
In some places they have lobbed even grenades. "In two hotels, some of the them are still holed-up....In Oberoi hotel, at least two terrorists are holed up inside."
Roy said that terrorists had opened fire at places and disappeared. "Some people are injured and the casualty figure is yet to be ascertained...our people have reached to the spot and were responding to the situation."
In the national capital, the Union Home Ministry said it was keeping a close watch on the situation and would provide all necessary assistance to the state government.
There were reports of four suspected terrorists holed up at Nariman House near CST.
Two explosions were also heard outside CST with eyewitnesses reporting hearing gunshots outside the railway station building.
Some people injured in the shootout near Trident hotel, formerly Oberoi hotel in south Mumbai, were taken to nearby hospital in police vans and ambulanceS.
Two people were also injured in firing near CST, police said. Eyewitnesses said some people entered CST area from the outside reservation counter and opened fire indiscriminately.
Eyewitnesses said some people suspected to be terrorists entered the CST building from outside the reservation counter and opened fire indiscriminately.
Two explosions also went off outside CST and eyewitnesses reported they heard gunshots outside the railway station building. A police official said he saw two people, armed with automatic weapons, at CST.
"They opened indiscriminate fire and fled inside. They are reported to be holed up between platform seven and eight," he said.
