By Zhou Jing, Keen Zhang and John Sexton

Five Chinese nationals have been rescued by Indian police from a Mumbai hotel, Zhang Longhai, Chinese consul in Mumbai, told China.org.cn in a telephone interview this afternoon.

Mumbai attacked, tourists targeted

Smoke is seen coming from Taj Hotel in Mumbai November 27, 2008. [Xinhua/Reuters Photo]

"Five Chinese nationals trapped in the hotels have just been rescued," Zhang said. "The death toll has risen to 101, and at least 287 have been injured. There were a series of terrorist attacks across Mumbai at 10 places including hotels, hospitals and train stations."

Zhang said that one of the five rescued is a general manager of Chinese oil company Sinopec (Hong Kong) Limited.

The local police had told Zhang that the attacks had come without warning and there had been no prior tension in the city.

According to Zhang, there are around 1,000 Chinese people living in Mumbai but so far there have been no reports of casualties among the Chinese community.

Mr Shao, a Chinese telecoms engineer in Mumbai, told China.org.cn that there are relatively few Chinese tourists in Mumbai. "Mumbai is like Shanghai, it is not a tourist attraction, so I don't believe there are many tourists here, especially Chinese tourists.

"It is a religious conflict. We will not go back out on the street for a long time," he added.

The Chinese Consulate-General in Mumbai has published three emergency phone numbers on its website: 0091-9820302546, 0091-9820302548, 0091-8920535225.

A terrorist is seen in the series of planned and synchronized gunfire and bomb attacks in Mumbai, the heart of India's financial capital, November 27, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]