India: UK's FCO issues warning

Travel Summary

• We advise against all non-essential travel to Mumbai until further notice. If you are currently in Mumbai we advise you to stay indoors and monitor the media. If you are in Mumbai and need immediate assistance please call (0091) 11 2419 2288. If you are in the UK and are concerned about friends or family in India please call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 020 7008 0000. We understand that some flights to and from Mumbai have been disrupted. You are advised to contact your travel agent for information.
• There have been a series of blasts in a number of sites around Mumbai. Some of these have been in or close to five star hotels in the southern part of the city. Reports suggest as many as 80 dead and up to 250 injured people. We advise all British nationals in the city to stay indoors until local authorities advise that it is safe to go outside.
• We advise against all travel to, or through rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir other than Ladakh; all travel in the immediate vicinity of the border with Pakistan (Northern and Western India), other than at the international border crossing at Wagah; and all travel in Manipur and Tripura (East and North East India). See the specific Local Travel section of this advice for more details.
• We advise against all but essential travel to Srinagar (Northern India) and Imphal (East and North East India). If you do travel to these areas then you should only do so by air. See the specific Local Travel section of this advice for more details.
• There is a high threat of terrorism throughout India. Attacks have targeted public places, including places of worship and major festivals such as Diwali. They have also targeted places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers, most recently in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. See the Terrorism/Security and Local Travel sections of this advice for more details.
• A tropical cyclone is forecast to hit the north of Madras close to midnight on 15/16 November 2008. You should monitor local and international weather updates and follow the advice of local authorities and tour operators. See the Natural Disasters section of this advice and Tropical Cyclones for more details.
• Over 734,000 British tourists visit India every year (source: Bureau of Immigration). Most of these visits are trouble-free. 1,506 British nationals required consular assistance in India in the period 01 April 2006 – 31 March 2007.
• You should keep a photocopy of your passport, Indian visa and flight ticket separate from the originals when travelling.
• We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.