ITR-Second Australian Confirmed Dead As Commandos Storm Luxury Hotels In Mumbai-JanEngland ITR Australia for InTouchRadio.net UK GLOBAL

Jan England InTouchRadio.net Australia for InTouchRadio.net UK GLOBAL

Second Australian Confirmed Dead
As Commandos Storm
Luxury Hotels In Mumbai

Paola Totaro
November 28, 2008

Commandos take up positions at the Taj hotel.
Photo: Getty Images

A second Sydneysider, Doug Markell from Darling Point, has been confirmed dead in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Mr Markell, a 71-year-old former businessman and Woollahra councillor, was holidaying in the city with his wife. She is thought to be staying at the Australian embassy.

Mr Markell's sons are travelling to Mumbai to be with their mother Alison, a family spokeswoman said.

The other Australian confirmed dead was North Turramurra businessman and father Brett Taylor, 49.

He was a member of a NSW trade delegation and was staying at the Oberoi. He was dead on arrival at St George Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday night.

Up to 26 Australians may be holed up in the Taj and Oberoi hotels in Mumbai and cannot yet be accounted for, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, has confirmed.

Mr Smith's comments came as Indian commandos fought room-to-room battles to save people trapped inside the luxury hotels after coordinated attacks by gunmen across India's financial capital yesterday.

Are you in Mumbai? Do you know more? Message 0424 SMS SMH (+61 424 767 764) or email us with information or images.

Police said 125 people were killed and 315 wounded when gunmen - at least some of whom arrived by sea - fanned out across the city to attack sites popular with tourists and businessmen.

With the drama still unfolding, the final death toll could be higher.

Mr Smith said he had spoken to the Australian High Commissioner to India, Mr John McCarthy, who coincidentally had been in Mumbai during the attacks.

He said Mr McCarthy had now visited all hospitals "under extreme circumstances" and had ascertained that there are no Australians being treated in city hospitals.

Mr Smith said officials still did not know exactly how many Australians had been caught up in the terrorist attack.

However, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokesman said this morning that more than 70 Australians were in the area directly affected by the attacks.

Mr Smith said that Minister Mukherjee had signalled that Indian authorities, through their police and military forces, were "proposing to take strong action."

Michael Dixon Founder of InTouchRadio.net

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