Local Woman Reacts To India Terrorist Attacks
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Updated: 7:44 PM Nov 28, 2008
Local Woman Reacts To India Terrorist Attacks
Over the past three days, the death toll in India has risen as a group of terrorists have killed more than 150 people. Although this horrific event may seem to be a world away, the attacks are hitting home for one local woman.
Posted: 5:20 PM Nov 28, 2008
Reporter: Ryan Dearbone
Email Address: ryan.dearbone@wbko.com
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Over the past three days, the death toll in India has risen as a group of terrorists have killed more than 150 people.

Although this horrific event may seem to be a world away, the attacks are hitting home for one local woman.

A month ago, Ellen Buchanon was in India taking in the sights along with her husband and her brother and his wife.

Now, all Buchanon can do is look in horror as violence overruns what she called a "peaceful place."

"We've been terribly distressed by it. We've been watching the news constantly," notes Buchanon.

She says she still can't believe the violence erupting in Mumbai.

"I can't imagine just being somewhere like that and having your hotel under siege and people being shot and killed around you, because we really felt safe over there," Buchanon says.

Recently, Buchanon and her husband Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon traveled through India on vacation to meet up with her brother who was there on business.

"We had a great experience. We were not in Mumbai, we were in several other cities, one being Delhi. And we loved it and loved the Indian people and felt fairly safe," recalls Buchanon.

She admits the week before they got to New Delhi, the city experienced at least 5 or 6 bombings, but she says that didn't alter how safe she felt there.

Now her biggest fear is the groups of people the terrorists have chosen to target.

"They went into these places asking with American passports and British passports. Its the scariest part because, obviously, they were targeting Americans and the Brits over there," she says.

Buchanon's brother was not in India this week when the terrorist attacks broke out, but has been close to the scene of the Oberoi Hotel massacre.

"When he's in Mumbai, he stays at the Oberoi Hotel. I talked to him on the phone yesterday and he knows people that work at the hotel," notes Buchanon.

She says her brother is taking it pretty hard, especially since several people he knows were in the hotel at the time of the attack.

"2 of the businessmen that were there were clients of his law firm were in the hotel when the attack took place and to my knowledge haven't' been heard from yet," Buchanon states.

Usually Buchanon wasn't concerned about her brother making his monthly business trips to Mumbai, But now she's very worried about his safety.

"I'm real concerned about him and my nephew both. Sure they'll have to go back there at some point," she says.

Despite all of the violence that has killed at least two Americans... Buchanon says she would like to eventually return to India for another visit.


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