40 Indians reported missing

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 13. At least 40 Indians are reported missing after the terrorist strikes on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, an External Affairs Ministry spokesperson here said

About 650 calls have been received by the two helplines set up by the Indian Consulate-General in New York, 40 of them from relatives and friends of missing Indians. About five to 10 per cent of the people working in the two towers are believed to be Indians.

The spokesperson did not want to hazard any guess on the casualty figure, saying ``we will await details'' from New York authorities carrying out the rescue operations.

An additional helpline has also been established in Room no.7, Patiala House here by the External Affairs Ministry to assist callers to know the welfare of their relatives who may be currently in New York. The helpline number is 3381500 (four lines) and will be manned round the clock.

Search on for 4 Wipro staff

Our Special Correspondent reports from Bangalore:

Computer software giant, Wipro Ltd., is continuing with its efforts to locate four of its employees who were working on the 97th floor of the World Trade Center building in New York which collapsed after a terrorist attack on Tuesday. They were working with Morgan Stanley, a client company, and were not traced on Wednesday. Wipro could establish contacts with 46 other employees working in the New York area.

The missing employees are Mr. R.S. Shreyas, Mr. Sashikiran L. Kadaba, Mr. P. Hemanth Kumar, and Ms. S. Deepika Kumar.

Mr. Vivek Paul, vice-chairman, Wipro Ltd, said ``we are continuing to work closely with the local authorities in New York to locate the missing employees and they continue to remain our immediate focus. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families''.

Wipro's employee portal, ``Channel W'' has become the recovery assistance platform and source of information among the employees. The discussion forum on the channel generated feverish exchange of information about employees' friends and relatives to be contacted.

Wipro has established a 24-hour hotline for the benefit of families and friends of its employees who were in New York at the time of the tragedy. The number is 91-080-8440313.

IIM alumni escape

UNI, PTI report:

About a dozen alumni of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and Ahmedabad providentially escaped from the terrorist attacks, a report from Bangalore said.

They had gone to the U.S. for undergoing training in a brokerage firm. The training was to have commenced on that fateful day at the World Trade Center.

He climbed down 73 floors

An Ahmedabad report said Mr. Umang Patel, working with a software company on the 73rd floor of the first tower of the WTC, climbed down 73 floors within minutes of the first attack to escape from the jaws of death.

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