Bill Marriott on Marriott Hotel Islamabad Blast

September 24th, 2008 by Kashif Aziz ( 815 Views )

Bill Marriott, Chairman & CEO of Marriott International, has a note on his blog, expressing grief over blast at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad.

Bill Marriott I am very sad to report a terrible tragedy at our Marriott hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. At approximately 7:00 p.m. local time, a large truck pulled up to the security checkpoint of the heavily guarded hotel and exploded. The huge blast engulfed the front of the hotel and ruptured a gas line, which caused a large fire to break out.

The situation is still unfolding. Right now, we can’t confirm the number of people who have died or have been injured, but news reports are numbering it in the dozens, most of them Marriott employees.

This senseless tragedy and the profound loss of life has left me greatly saddened. My heart goes out to those who’ve been injured and the families of the victims.

We put a very high premium on security at Marriott. In this case, I salute the bravery of the security personnel who were right there when the suicide bomber struck. They had stopped the truck just outside the fortified gate. They were examining it when the bomb detonated. Sadly each member of the team was killed. These guys were defending the lives of hotel guests and their fellow co-workers. They were killed in the line of their duty.

Currently, our associates who escaped serious injury are doing whatever they can to assist with rescue and recovery efforts. The actions of these associates in Islamabad and their desire and willingness to help in a time of such tremendous tragedy are a true testament to Marriott’s culture.

I want to thank everyone who has left comments of condolence on my blog.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 and is filed under Current Affairs .

Tagged with: Bill Marriott, Islamabad, Marriott Hotel

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