India/Indonesia/Philippines

Mumbai hotels reopen, terror drills in Jakarta and Manila

Article published on the 2008-12-21 Latest update 2008-12-21 13:50 TU

Welcome to the Trident-Oberoi! Police and staff at the entrance on Sunday
(Photo: Reuters)

The two luxury hotels which saw 84 people killed during this month's attacks on India's commercial capital, Mumbai, reopened Sunday. The owners have vowed to restore the hotels to their former glory and show "courage, resilience and dignity". Elsewhere in Asia, the authorities prepared for similar violence in their own capitals.

About 100 of the Trident-Oberoi's rooms were booked on Sunday and all four restuarants were serving food on the first full day of business since the violence.

Before the opening, staff, guests and dignitaries attended a commemoration service in the reception area, hearing prayers from Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Jain, Zoroastrian and Christian representatives.

Trident Hotels president Rattan Keswani said he felt "deep pride" for his staff's work during and after the attacks.

At the nearby Taj more than 1,000 regular clients and guests were invited to a private reception before the reopening of 268 rooms and seven restaurants in the Tower wing.

The Mumbai attacks left a total of 172 people dead, including nine of the ten gunmen, and nealy 300 were wounded.

A massive anit-terror drill in Jakarta Sunday simulated a Mumbai-style attack by masked gunmen on a five-star hotel. It was the biggest operation of a week of exercises in Indonesia. They have included sea-based attacks in the Malacca Strait, hostage-takings and attacks on airports, seaports and the Jakarta stock exchange.

On Saturday Manila was the scene of a simulated suicide bombing on the city's overhead railway.

Earlier this week, two bombs killed two people and injured 53 others in the southern Philippines city of Iligan.