Hi Geordiegirl

We are also on the 21.30 flight from Heathrow, then jet to goa leaving at 15.35 hours.

Mike, Colleen and her hubbie are most definately in our thoughts and prayers, hopefully they are now, if not already, safely on their way back to Goa. I've no doubt that once there you will all rally round and help them.

On the lighter side of things she may need a gallon of that coffee stuff mmm!!!!! which she drinks and i am sure OH will want to join her for that.

Mike

Hi Fiona... I Couldn't reply to your PM... So replied here....

Thankfully our volunteer hadn't caught her flight yet... A very big relief! - She still flew up yesterday and her flight home is today I think (will have to find out what her thoughts were while in Mumbai). I will be thankful when I receive a call/email from her when she gets home...

Thank you for asking...

Mike Richardson wrote:

Hi Guys

Spoke to Irish Colleen last night and today she is very very upset and very scared i hope everybody thoughts are with her and John, ours are, god be with you colleen and John.

Mike and 1 MOB

mike please can you tell collen and OH that we are thinking of them and glad they are safe ....

adele

On the lighter side of things she may need a gallon of that coffee stuff mmm!!!!!

You had better make that the Irish kind rather than the light stuff she usually has!!

Been listening to Radio 4 this morning. A reporter was outside the 2nd hotel that is still under siege - and although the authorities have said that all the terrorists were accounted for there were STILL explosions to be heard. He said its the third time they've said this in 48 hrs.

They interviewed an indian woman who'd been staring up at the hotel. Her husband is a solicitor - and had been in the hotel at a party. She'd had no word from him.

They also interviewed a British man who had been rescued from the first hotel. They'd spoken to him on his mobile phone yesterday, but hadn't named the hotel or where he was. Appears he was on the 23rd floor...a colleague was on the 20th floor and hostages etc were being held on the 19th floor.

He said he had barricaded himself in his room for the last 48 hours, no food and little water. All he could hear were gunshots, people screaming running up and down the corridor outside. He'd kept in touch with others by using his blackberry - and heard that a rescue operation was in progress.

They banged on his door, told him that it was security/police/ hotel staff outside - and said his name so he knew they were who they said they were. It took him 5 minutes to take down the barricades he'd put up and looked through the spyhole to see staff etc and police with machine guns.

They took his baggage and escorted him down in the lift. He said the reception was carnage - 'blood and guts everywhere' were his exact expression. In between tears he said the restaurant of the hotel, where he'd eaten the evening it had started was just devastation and this was where it had all started. The young waitress who had served him was one of the first to be killed.

On his way up to his room that night there were 4 or so Japanese men booking into reception, one of these were killed about 5 minutes after he'd left them.

He couldn't praise the indian people highly enough - he said he'd had a picnic compared to them and they were a credit to their country. He is supposed to be going to Dehli - but thinks this business trip is over and is going home to his wife and children.

Have just finished a night shift and one of our doctors has still not been able to get in touch with his brother-in-law.

It's made all the more real for me as last night I also had two staff nurses working with me from India.

According to the latest news the Indian media is saying that the terrorists are British born Pakistanis, this worries me!

Rob
That must have been a huge relief to you. You must have been worried sick. (Off to check to see what is wrong with my pms. Thought I had enabled them again. Edit to add- no I hadn't enabled them )

Hi Guys

Good news, Irish Colleen is back in Goa safe and sound, there has been one news flash "sales of coffee have just risen" everyone is very happy for you IC.

Mike

That is excellent news, Mike if your still in Goa can you tell IC and Polly50 to log onto holidaytruths when they get home, so we all know they are well.
P.s tell them to have a drink on me, they bloody well need a few honeybees.

Thanks for relaying the good news Mike all a bit worrying when it`s so close to home lets hope they can enjoy the rest of their holiday.

Just had this from our volunteer who was there.....

"Back safe and well in London..... I have only just read that the foreign office have advised against all travel to Mumbai. You don't get that info when your there. I couldn't get through to anyone for info, all lines were jammed so i just made the decision to leave, I wouldn't have been insured for a no show and after 3 months without pay couldn't afford another flight. I was told by the air stewardesses that lots of flights were cancelled as the crew wouldn't flight in our out of Mumbai. We had seven people on our plane who had been held hostage at the Taj and they were very traumatised having seen some awful sights. lots of other passengers had seen or been involved in the events as it is a popular stopover area. When we arrived at Heathrow the police surrounded the plane and there were loads of media people. Mumbai was really quiet and most places were closed including lots of hotels. The Hyatt at the airport looked like a high security prison. I was lucky to find a great hotel used mostly by Indians and not foreign tourists. The booking office at the airport thought I spoke Hindi (my 6 words came in handy)and were so helpfull in finding me a safe place to stay."

Latest fco is here.
Rob
I'll bet she is so relieved just to be back in the UK

Yes, thankfully got back safe and sound... Still a lot on TV about it here.....

I'm not surprised there is still a lot on tv. It will be a long time before people feel safe again.