Singaporean held hostage at Mumbai’s Oberoi Hotel killed

SINGAPORE : Singapore’s Foreign Ministry has said 28—year—old Lo Hwei Yen, a Singaporean held hostage in one of the Mumbai hotels, has been killed.

At a news conference late Friday night, officials confirmed her body was found on the 19th floor of the Oberoi Hotel.

She is believed to be the the first Singaporean victim of a terror attack.

Jai Sohan Singh, director, Consular Directorate, Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry, said: "We were told at about 8 o’clock this evening that there was a possibility that a body has been found matching the description of Ms Lo. A final confirmation was made by the husband only at 2135 hours this evening."

Details of what actually happened remain sketchy.

However, Mr Singh did give an outline of how the situation played out.

He said that the terrorists conveyed a message through Ms Lo to Singapore’s mission in India for the Indian parliament.

He elaborated: "As you would have read in the Indian media, the terrorists demanded that the Indian authorities refrain from storming the Oberoi Hotel, otherwise they would harm her...We ask for your understanding that we could not confirm this earlier, as the situation at that time was fluid and fast evolving. It was not appropriate at that (time) for us to do this for operational reasons."

Ms Lo, who is a lawyer at a Singapore—based offshore law firm, was in Mumbai on a working trip.

Her husband, Michael Puhaindran, had flown up to Mumbai on Thursday, after the crisis broke. He is accompanied by an aunt.

The Foreign Ministry is helping the family make arrangements to bring the body back.

It is confirmed there are no more Singaporeans stranded in any of the hotels in the financial capital.

115 Singaporeans were known to be in Mumbai either for work or leisure during the attack on Wednesday night, which has killed some 130 people.

Meanwhile, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has expressed his sadness over the death of Ms Lo. He knows the family and had attended her wedding last year.

Upon learning the tragic news, SM Goh went to visit the family who were in a state of shock.

"Unfortunately, what we feared came true," Mr Goh told reporters.

Acting Prime Minister Professor S Jayakumar said he and his Cabinet colleagues are also painfully saddened by the news of the death of Ms Lo.

In a statement issued late Friday night, he said the loss of any life to terrorism is sad, and the loss of a fellow Singaporean is a pain more keenly and closely felt by every Singaporean.

Professor Jayakumar said the foreign ministry officials have been on the ground with the victim’s family in Singapore and Mumbai since the first time Singapore learnt of Ms Lo being held hostage.

The officers are working with the Indian authorities to bring her back home.

Professor Jayakumar stressed that terrorism is a threat that spares no one, and this tragic event underscores the imperative for all to be constantly vigilant, and the need for the international community to band together to combat this threat.

— CNA/ir/ls/ms

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Rest in Piece, Ms Lo !!!