By IANS,
Mumbai : Financial and other activities in this commercial hub of India came to a grinding halt Thursday in the wake of the terrorist attacks that rocked the city and killed over 101 people, including senior police officials.
Majority of the government and private offices were closed following the terror strikes while those companies carrying out operations saw low attendance of employees. Also, the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange remained shut Thursday.
The central office of Air India, located at a building just next to the terror-hit Oberoi hotel, has been closed. Besides, LIC, Maharashtra Fisheries, Mahananda and Reliance Capital are also shut.
On duty security officer of Air India P.N. More said: “We have closed our office due to security reasons. There is a terrorist attack in the next building. So it is safe to keep the office closed as it might create a threat for our employees and the general public.
He added that the terrorists are on a rampage and may barge anywhere. “The last time I saw such a deserted look on the streets of Mumbai was when the 1992 riots took place.”
However, the Mumbai Secretariat (Mantralaya) functioned but not in a normal way. It witnessed thin attendance. “The strike has impacted the attendance at our office but our work is not at halt as a section of people have come,” one of the employees, requesting anonymity, said.
Security officer at the LIC building, Laxman P. Gawade, said 10 percent of the people came to the office but seeing the situation, they were advised to go back home and the office was closed.