2 Canadians killed in Mumbai attacks: Cannon

Two Canadians werekilled in this week's series of deadly attacks on targets in Mumbai, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said late Friday.

Followingan early morning announcement that one Canadianhaddied in the attacks, Cannon issued another statement around 8 p.m. ETthat saida second person was now confirmed dead.

No details were immediately available, including the person's identity.

"I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased," Cannon said in a statement. "The next of kin have been notified, and our consular officers have put themselves at their service."

A friend ofthefirst person announced dead toldCBC News his name was Michael Moss, a doctor from the Montreal area. Canadian officials have not provided any identifying information.

At least 150 people are now confirmed to have died in the attacks.

Canadian officials in Mumbai told CBC News thatthey can account for 20 Canadians who were staying at either the Trident-Oberoi luxury hotelor theTaj Mahal Palace hotel, twoof the sitestargeted in the attacks.Officials said that17 ofthe Canadians are safe, while one died and two were injured.

Cannon did not provide any details ofthe circumstances surrounding either of the deaths, including when and where they occurred.

Attacks were carried out at 10 locations across India's financial capital including two luxury hotels, acrowded train station, a hospital and a popular cafe beginning Wednesday evening.

Moss wasa British-trained general practitioner whoimmigrated to Manitoba from Englandmore than 30years ago, according to Dr. Ron Ludman, one of his colleagues in Montreal. He was travelling in Mumbai on vacation.

Ludman said he was told by Moss's daughter that hedied in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Another colleague, Dr. David Wiegens, said Moss will be sorely missed.

"Ithink he'll be along with me as I'm continuing totake care of my patients, as a voice, as an independent mind, as a really dedicated physician, and as a friend," Wiegens said from the Cavendish Health and Social Services Centre, adding that Moss was days away from returning from his four-week holiday.

TheCanadiangovernment had already confirmed that two Canadians were among those injured in the co-ordinated gun and grenade attacks.

Montreal voice actor Michael Rudder, a past Genie Award nominee who was visiting India with a U.S. meditation group, was one of the two Canadianswounded.

When militants stormed one of the city's hotels, he suffered three gunshot wounds, but hasundergone surgery and is recovering in the critical care wing of a Mumbai hospital.

Helen Connolly of Markham, Ont., just outside Toronto, a yoga instructor, was grazed by a bullet.

Two other American members of the meditation group, Alan Scherr, 58, and his daughter, Naomi, 13, were killed in the attack, said Bobbie Garvey, spokeswoman for the Synchronicity Foundation.

'Terrifying experience'

Garveysaid the group's trip to Mumbai was "like a pilgrimage," but turned into an"intense, terrifying experience" as members hid in their rooms for up to 45 hours amid stifling smoke, gunfire and grenade explosions.

"Most of them had their mattresses and their bureaus up against the door,"Garveytold reporters at a news conference Friday inFaber, Va., where the foundation is based.

"They didn't know at any time if that door was going to open and it was going to be someone to save them, or it was going to be someone to take them out."

24 bodies found in luxury hotel

On Friday, police found 24 bodies at the Trident-Oberoi luxury hotel after commandos regained control of the building, raising the death toll to more than 150 people. Earlier, at least seven foreign captives, some of whom had Canadian flags on their luggage, had emerged from the hotel.

But the battle to free hostages continued at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and a Jewish centre as security forces clashed with the militants responsible for the attacks.

According to reports earlier Thursday, six foreigners were killed, including at least one Australian, a Japanese and a British national, said Pradeep Indulkar, a senior government official of Maharashtra state, whose capital is Mumbai. A German and an Italian were also killed, according to the foreign ministries in the two countries.

The attacks were launched on Wednesday night, as militants armed with rifles and grenades attacked the sprawling city of about 13 million people. The gunmen struck a total of 10 sites, including a packed train station, a restaurant popular with tourists, the Jewish community centre, hospitals and the two luxury hotels.

The previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahedeen claimed responsibility in e-mails to several media outlets.

Most of the dead were Indian nationals many of whom died in the attack on Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station as gunmen fired indiscriminately on waiting passengers.

Fourteen police officers, including the chief of the anti-terror squad, were among those killed in the attacks.

Survivors of the hotel attacks said the gunmen had specifically targeted Britons and Americans.