M A I N   N E W S

250 Indians feared killed, 37 hurt

New York, September 13
More than 250 Indians are among those feared killed, injured and missing following the terrorists’ attacks on the World Trade Center, where a large number of Indians go for work.

Indian Consul-General Shashi Tripathi said so far they had reports of 37 injured Indians being treated in various hospitals. But some community leaders put the figure of injured at between 60 and 100.

The Consulate frequently sends out its representatives to various hospitals to check the lists of injured to locate Indians.

Preliminary estimates by the Indian mission put the figure of more suspected killed, injured or missing at between 200 and 250.

Meanwhile, the police has arrested one person for an attack on Gurdwara Richmod during which rubber bullets were fired. The arrest was made when the group came for the second attack.

As anger against Arabs mounted in the USA with reports linking Osama bin Laden to the terror attacks and television images showing Palestinian celebrations after the attacks, Mr Tripathi advised Indians to be more careful during the next few days.

The fear is that anyone looking like an Arab might become a target of ire by some groups.

Mr Tripathi said Indian women could wear “bindi” to distinguish and men could carry some identification which could be used in times of need.

But several Islamic organisations advised Muslims, especially women who wear burqa or headgear, to stay at home for a few days.

Following anxious calls from Indians back home and here for information on their relatives, the Consulate has set up special telephone lines for the purpose. It has also named special officers to help out families in case of any adversity or tragedy.

Names of the injured are being updated and posted on the consulates website at www.Indiacgny.org.

Hate messages were left on the answering machine of a mosque in the outskirts of Washington. Reports also said windows of a mosque were broken in Texas and an Islamic center was vandalised in California.

In major cities police cars have been stationed outside mosques and Islamic centers.

Arab-American and Muslim leaders have mounted a campaign to convey the charitable efforts of Muslims. Muslim leaders organised a blood donation drive in the Washington area following the attacks.

New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani today said at least 4,763 persons missing in the wake of the terror strike that toppled the World Trade Center’s landmark twin towers.

Mr Giuliani told a news conference that 94 bodies had been recovered from the ruins and that 46 of them had been identified.

“We also have the gruesome, horrible situation where we recover body parts, and there are 70 persons in that category. There are 70 body parts,” he said.

“I am sorry I have to describe it that way,” he added.

Earlier, Mr Giuliani acknowledged that in the end, the number of missing may be higher than the number of bodies recovered, because some bodies may have been destroyed in the fires.

He said at least 2,000 persons had been taken to New York hospitals and that the city has some 30,000 body bags available. He urged people not to jump to conclusions based on that number, saying that in addition to bodies, rescuers will recover numerous body parts. AFP, PTI

Vajpayee to address nation today
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 13
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will address the nation tomorrow evening on the situation arising out of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States of America, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) decided today.

The CCS, which met for the third consecutive day to assess the fallout of the US attacks, also reviewed economic consequences of a hefty increase in oil prices after Tuesday’s terrorist strikes, the External Affairs and Defence Minister told reporters.

According to sources, the CCS discussed at length the repercussions of these terrorist acts and their inevitable fallout for India.