‘We were scared but knew it is safer outside’

“Around 9.50 pm, I heard something I thought it could be drums, a celebration.

I called the desk and reception but nobody answered. But as soon as I opened my door I heard sounds that I knew were firearms,” he said, outside the hotel around 4.30 am, when he finally emerged after a six-hour wait in silence and fear. “I closed my door and stayed in the room. Frantically, I tried to call reception, but got no response. Finally, around 10.15 pm, we got a call from reception. They told us to lock the doors, switch off lights and stay in our rooms no matter what. They told us not to open the door even if anybody knocked. Luckily we could get through to our families and we assured them that we are fine. Our company also kept us in the know of what was happening.”

Then, their colleagues called and advised them to try and leave.

“We got out of our rooms and went down the fire escape. We were afraid but were sure it was safer outside. We did not see anybody in the fire exit, neither staff nor terrorists. We made our way out completely by ourselves,” he said, while waiting to be picked up by colleagues.

Outside, the Taj staff were politely herding people into buses which were then taking them to the President Hotel in Cuffe Parade. Many got on to these buses.

However, quite a few were picked up friends and relatives. One group of foreigners refused to get into the bus, demanding to know why there was no military on the roads yet. They finally accepted a lift from a TV channel’s car.

Around 4.30 am, after the customers left, most of the staff climbed into a bus too, except for a few. The encounter was not yet over, but the fire had been doused.