British Prince visits 26/11 attacks site, donates funds

Prince Michael of Kent, first cousin to England's Queen Elizabeth, visited Chabad Nariman House in Mumbai today.

Prince Michael, along with Israeli Consul General Orna Sagiv, and Rabbi Avraham Berkowitz, director of Chabad Mumbai Relief Fund, visited the five-storey building and inspected the bullet and grenade marks on the walls.

Prince Michael presented Rabbi Berkowitz with a cheque of $1,00,000 for the restoration of the building on behalf of the DVK Foundation of which Prince Michael is the patron and donor.

Prince Michael said that the foundation would help restore Chabad House, especially the kitchen of the building where free meals for travellers and others were prepared.

"There was, as the Rabbi has mentioned, a foundation set up a few months ago by somebody who actually was in the Taj Hotel and survived the attacks. Last November in London, we met together and made a pledge that we would raise money to help to restore this building and in particular, the kitchen," he added.

Strongly denouncing terrorism, Prince Michael said that the perpetrators of 26/11 attacks must be brought to book.

"Terrorism is something, which affects everybody. It is indiscriminate," added Prince Michael.

Ten gunmen landed on Mumbai shores by boats at sunset on November 26, 2008 fired indiscriminately at a busy railway station, the Chabad House, a restaurant and two luxury hotels.

Several people were held hostage over the next three days and over 166 people were killed before NSG commandos smoked out the last of the terrorists on November 28, 2008.