Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Nov 28 (IANS) Two persons from Hyderabad were among those killed in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.Laxminarayan Goel, an advocate, was killed in the blast in a taxi at Ville Parle while Vijay Rao Bhanja, an executive chef, was gunned down by terrorists in Taj Hotel.

Death proved cruel for Goel, 55, as he missed his train to Hyderabad Wednesday night and was returning to a relative’s house in a taxi.

The shocked family members of Goel said he rang them up from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) station to inform them that he had missed the train and was returning to his sister-in-law’s house in Kanjayali.

He boarded a taxi but could not reach his destination. At Ville Parle, the taxi burst into flames, killing Goel, the taxi driver and another unidentified passenger.

After learning about the terror attacks, Goel’s family tried to contact him over his mobile but it was switched off. They grew anxious when Goel’s sister-in-law Usha informed that he had not reached home. After frantic efforts to trace him, they received a call from Cooper Hospital that he had been killed.

Goel, who is survived by his wife and four daughters, had gone to Mumbai for some office work Sunday.

Abhishek Goel, a relative, said a grenade hurled by the terrorists hit the taxi. The explosion was so intense that Goel’s body was badly mutilated. He was identified based on the documents he was carrying.

Vijay Rao Bhanja, 48, an executive chef at the Taj Hotel, was gunned down by terrorists in the early hours of Thursday. One of his colleagues, who luckily escaped, informed the family about the tragedy.

Vijay’s house at Sainikpuri here plunged into gloom as the family received the shocking news. He is survived by his wife and a son.

He spoke to his wife late Wednesday night to inform her that he, along with others, was holed up in the hotel but was safe. A few hours later, he was shot dead by the terrorists.

Vijay’s family was to join him in few days for a family function in Mumbai.