By Gurmukh Singh,IANS,
Toronto : Though Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon Thursday refused to confirm whether any Canadian was killed or injured in the terror attacks in Mumbai, two Canadians are reported to be among those injured and six among those still being held hostage.
According to reports here, the injured Canadians were part of a meditation group that was staying at the Oberoi-Trident hotel.
The Virginia-based mediation group Synchronicity Foundation, which organised the mediation tour of India, said in a statement: “In response to the many inquiries about our program currently being held in India, 25 participants (comprising 16 Americans, four Canadians and five Australians) were participating in a spiritual program being held at the Oberoi hotel in Mumbai.
“We have confirmed that two of our American and two Canadian participants received gunshot wounds. One remains in intensive care with three bullet wounds but is conscious and believed to be out of danger.
“Two others are recovering after surgery and the fourth has been released having been treated for a flesh wound,” the statement said, adding two members (both Americans) of the party are currently unaccounted for.
Several eyewitness accounts reported the two being shot in the restaurant and they are feared dead, it said.
“While many of the other participants are still being held in their rooms by authorities at the hotel, we believe them to be in parts of the hotel that have been secured by the police/military”, the statement said.
According to local media reports, Helen Connolly, who teaches yoga at the Ah Yogahh studio foundation in Markham on the outskirts of Toronto, also suffered bullet injuries in the terror attack.
She is staying with a local host family after being released from the hospital, and “is doing exceptionally well,” the Toronto Star quoted foundation vice president Bobbie Garvey as saying from Mumbai.
When this correspondent called Connolly’s phone number, her voicemail message said: “I am away at the moment and will return December 4, so please leave a message or try calling after that date.”