Update on Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai

Smoke coming from the Taj Palace hotel, Mumbai.
Ritam Banerjee/Getty Images

I awoke this morning in Mumbai, not surprisingly to newspapers almost completely filled with stories about the terrorist attacks that started in the city on Wednesday night. Reading how the dreadful events have affected the lives of so many innocent people was heartbreaking, and I had to stop after only a few pages.

While the good news is that the hostage situation at the Taj Palace hotel has been resolved, further drastic measures are being undertaken to try and remove the terrorists from Nariman House -- an important Jewish building seized during the attack.

It's now believed that the terrorists arrived in Mumbai from outside India, most likely by hijacked boat. Everyone is wondering about the state of the city's security and how this could've been allowed to happen. It certainly is concerning that these terrorist attacks aren't being prevented.

As for the impact so far, the death toll has reportedly risen to 125 and includes at least six foreigners. The top floors of the historic Taj Palace hotel have been severely damaged by fire, although fortunately its facade and three domes remain intact. Many offices, shops, and malls will stay closed today. The airport is open but many flights are not operating, or are being combined with other flights, because of the number of people canceling their bookings.