TO HELL AND BACK: THE AFTERMATH OF THE DusitD2 ATTACK

A recount of the horrendous ordeal from a survivor

Jacques Chirac once said: “Terrorism has become the systematic weapon of a war that knows no borders or seldom has a face.” This is a quote that many can relate with far too well. It was a normal Tuesday afternoon in one of the businesses operating at the DusitD2 complex for *Ana Kabutha* (not her real name) and her colleagues.

Ms. Kabutha was going about her work normally when she heard a loud bang outside her office. “At first I thought the big blast was as a result of a gas cylinder exploding at the Secret Garden restaurant,” she recalls.

She started making her way outside together with her colleagues to assemble at the fire drill assembly. Subsequent explosions followed by gunshots made her realize that the situation was different. “I had no idea what was happening. It was scary and confusing,” a visibly shaken Kabutha recalls.

Her survival instincts quickly kicked in and she went into hiding with a fellow colleague in one of the offices within the complex. She did not see the deadly attackers but her colleagues who had proceeded to make their way downstairs claim to have spotted two of them and ran back to the office.

While still holed up in her hiding place, she remained in constant communication with friends and family members as well as colleagues trapped in other offices. She notes: “I was able to know when help was coming and reassure my friends and family.”

After spending several ghastly hours trapped, Ms. Kabutha and her colleagues were finally rescued by the Recce Squad at about 6.30 pm. She describes the ordeal as the most dreadful and beastly experience she has ever gone through in her life.