Posted on 11/28/2008 4:00:12 PM PST by ConservativeMind
Prashant Mangeshikar could be dead, one of more than a hundred victims of militant attacks across Mumbai landmarks, if it had not been for an employee at the Taj Mahal Hotel...
...Recovering from the initial shock and chaos, hotel staff shepherded the guests, including the Mangeshikar family, through the service section upstairs -- only suddenly to come face to face with one of the gunmen.
"He looked young and did not speak to us. He just fired. We were in sort of a single file," Mangeshikar, a 52-year-old gynecologist, told Reuters. "The man in front of my wife shielded us. He was a maintenance section staff. He took the bullets."
The tale of the unnamed staff member has echoed across Mumbai where, time after time, hotel workers have emerged as the people who shielded, hid or evacuated their wealthy guests from militants at the Taj and Trident/Oberoi hotels.
Hotel workers in one case ushered guests into a conference room and then locked the doors to protect them from the militants. The guests were later rescued by the fire brigade...
...SPRAYING BULLETS
Within seconds after Mangeshikar's family was saved from the bullets, the guests made a dash for the hotel rooms to hide.
Mangeshikar and a few others dragged the wounded hotel employee identified only as "Mr. Rajan" into one of the rooms.
"His intestine was a lump hanging from a gaping hole in his abdomen," he said. "The bullet had entered him from close to the spine."
For the next 12 hours, Mangeshikar and other guests surrounded the wounded man trying to push back his intestines with bedsheets and stop the bleeding. He was finally evacuated, but it was not known if he survived.
"The hotel staff has been very, very brave," Mangeshikar said. "Hats off to them."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
May their gallantry be remembered.
A time to offer thanksgiving for the brave Taj workers.
May their bravery be rewarded as it deserves.
That’s a great live video link.
More shooting in the Taj.
Rumors on twitter of a few remaining terrorists holding “high value hostage.”
I prefer NDTV, it’s a bit less bombastic than IBN.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/video/video_live.aspx?id=0
I’m watching this link and can’t pull away...at one point one of the reporters says, “the commando’s have staked out positions around the hotel....I won’t tell you where they are”
and I’m thinking; were that a NYSlimes reporter the SOB would specify with great detail where the commandos and military units were placed...
btw- there’s a big fire raging in the bottom floor of the hotel...
This is not proper first aid procedure. Cover them gently and keep them moist with clean water.
L
The other TV link at post #7 has better live coverage of the fire at the Taj.
> May their bravery be rewarded
I second that.
bfl
E carried me away
To where a dooli lay,
An’ a bullet come an’ drilled the beggar clean.
‘E put me safe inside,
An’ just before ‘e died:
“I ‘ope you liked your drink,” sez Gunga Din.
So I’ll meet ‘im later on
In the place where ‘e is gone—
Where it’s always double drill and no canteen;
‘E’ll be squattin’ on the coals
Givin’ drink to pore damned souls,
Din! Din! Din!
You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din!
Tho’ I’ve belted you an’ flayed you,
By the livin’ Gawd that made you,
You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!
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