26/11 horror: Kasab laughed while shooting people, Railway announcer recalls
What's the story
Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Ajmal Kasab laughed and said things while he shot at innocents at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on November 26, 2008, the Railway announcer working at the station recalled, HT reports.
Babloo Kumar Deepak said he remembered the gruesome attack, that killed nearly 50 at the station alone.
He was the one who alerted Railway control room about the attack.
The day
After shift ended at Byculla, Deepak headed to CSMT
That day, Deepak started his 7 AM shift at Byculla Railway station. Due to staff crunch, he headed to CSMT after his work hours ended at 3 PM, and went about with his routine.
He said at 9:30 PM Hussainsagar Express, operating between Mumbai and Hyderabad, left the station and Indrayani Express, running between Mumbai and Pune, had just arrived.
Then a blast happened.
Quote
While people were falling, Kasab laughed, Deepak said
"I heard a loud blast from platform number 13. After which there was a complete chaos on the outstation platforms. I saw people falling in front of me and collapsing. Kasab was laughing and saying things while he was shooting," Deepak told HT.
The announcement
Deepak asked people to step away from platform number 13
Acting swiftly, Deepak asked passengers to stay away from platform number 13, where the blast happened. He remembered there was utter chaos and people were running frantically.
Deepak stayed at the station for 27 hours and helped in the rescue operations. He took some of the injured to St. George Hospital.
He said porters risked their lives to take injured to the hospital.
Aftermath
Kasab's face is still fresh in my memory: Deepak
Deepak, who was awarded by the Railways and is now a junior clerk at Byculla station, said he remembered the day clearly.
"Kasab's face is still fresh in my memory," he said.
The trauma hasn't left Deepak and he is still terrified of loud noises. "The sound of crackers bursting scares me as it brings back the memories of the terror attack," he said.
Information
The attack that brought nation to a standstill
In the infamous attack on Mumbai, 10 members of LeT killed nearly 166 people, including many police officers. The Taj Hotel, Nariman Point, Oberoi Trident, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and other places were attacked by terrorists.