Holidaymaker from Kennington escapes the bloodshed in Mumbai

4:14pm Monday 1st December 2008

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A Kennington holidaymaker has told how she managed to leave Mumbai just hours after the start of terrorist attacks which claimed more than 180 lives.

Jagruti Bhuva, 44, was visiting relatives in India’s financial capital when gunmen began a wave of attacks Mrs Bhuva was packing her bags to head home when she heard news of the first shootings.

It was only a short time after leaving for the airport that she heard that residents of Mumbai were ordered to stay indoors by city officials — who did not know where or when the terrorists would strike next.

Gunmen opened fire on Wednesday of last week against a series of civilian targets in the heart of Mumbai, including two luxury hotels and a packed railway station.

Violence continued as terrorists holding host-ages exchanged fire with Indian commandos.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed one Briton died.

Mrs Bhuva, who was visiting her brother, Sanjay Prekh, in the suburb of Vile Parle, where one taxi was blown up, said: “It was very scary. When we first heard, we thought it was a one-off. But then it kept happening at all these other places.

“The scary thing was that there was a bomb in a taxi and it wasn’t just one place which they attacked.”

Mrs Bhuva, a mother of three who also has seven cousins in Mumbai, said: “None of my direct family seems to have been involved, but we were all in a state of shock.

“My brother kept ringing me at the airport to check I was OK.

“We were scared they’d try and attack the planes because they’d already targeted hotels looking for tourists. They could have targeted one of the flights and my brother said ‘don’t go’.

“We were discussing staying in Mumbai for another week, but I wanted to come home.

“I feel very relieved to be back in Britain.”

Most of the attacks happened in the south of the city, with the terrorists said to be targeting British and American nationals.

Mrs Bhuva said security at Mumbai airport was stepped up and she endured a two-hour delay to her flight to London.

She said: “A lot of flights in Mumbai were cancelled and there were long delays.”

She added: “I was lucky to get home.

“Everyone was in a massive state of shock watching the TV at the airport.”