By MERGAWATI ZULFAKAR and LESTER KONG

PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA: Malaysian Hema Kasipillay is reported missing after the hotel she was staying in Mumbai was attacked by gunmen.

Efforts to contact Hema by her nephew, Mohan Thangaraja, and the Malaysian consulate-general in Mumbai were unsuccessful.

"I called the management and they confirmed she has not checked out.

"She was with two German colleagues who were evacuated but they have not been able to trace her," he added.

Wan Zaidi said the consulate was checking with other hotels and nearby hospitals to try and locate Hema, from Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Mohan said his aunt, an administration officer for a German-based insurance firm, arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday.

He said his family had not been able to contact her on her handphone. Her husband and two teenaged children refused to be interviewed.

"We do not have any information. We have given her details to the consulate. We are all feeling sad and down," he said.

Wan Zaidi said he managed to speak to her German colleagues who told him they last spoke to her at about 3am local time yesterday before Indian authorities conducted a rescue operation.

"The last time they saw her was in the evening and they were still in touch with her on the phone when the attack took place.

"But when the rescue operation took place, communication was jammed and they were unable to contact her again," he added.

Two Malaysians living in Mumbai also e-mailed The Star Online on the situation in the Indian financial capital.

Lawrence Ngadan Mani, who works with an oil company in Mumbai, said schools and shopping malls were temporarily closed.

"Until this morning, you could still see smoke at the hotel. Locals told me the Taj has been in business for more than 100 years and this has never happened before."

Vivegan Nadarajai, who has been in the country since Nov 16, said he was staying at a hotel some 20km away from the siege area.

"The situation in my area is calm. We have been advised not to travel away from our hotels until the situation cools down and to follow the local news for any update," he said.

Meanwhile, security in the Indian capital, New Delhi, has been stepped up with more police and military presence in public areas, NELSON BENJAMIN reported.

Security has been boosted at all railway stations, bus terminals and cinemas.

Five-star hotels have also increased their security with more security guards with metal detectors and checks on every visitor being carried out.

All tours to government buildings in the city have also been cancelled.