Bombs explode at Jakarta hotels

[FarCenter]

July 17, 2009 - 12:26PM
At least six people, including several foreigners, have been killed and 10 injured when explosions ripped through two luxury hotels in downtown Jakarta on Friday, police say.

South Jakarta police Colonel Firman Bundi said some of the bodies had been taken to a hospital.

The facade of the Ritz-Carlton was blown off in one blast and another explosion hit the Marriott, police said. The explosions rocked the area about 8am local time (11am AEST).

The head of the Health Ministry crisis centre, Rustam Pakaya, said at least two people were seriously injured, including one New Zealander.

One hospital emergency room said it was already treating 15 people.

Debris and shattered glass littered the street outside the neighbouring hotels, which are in an upscale Jakarta neighbourhood, and ambulances raced to the scene.


Herald on the scene


The Sydney Morning Herald's Indonesia correspondent Tom Allard said one bomb was reportedly detonated inside the Ritz-Carlton.

"I'm looking at it now, you can see all the windows punched out on one side,'' Allard told 2UE radio from outside the back of the hotel.

" the bomb actually went off inside the restaurant at the time people were actually sitting there to have their breakfasts."

He said he could see what appeared to be dead bodies being pulled out of the building and badly injured people being helped out as well.

An Australian man called Jim told 2UE his son was injured in the explosion at the Marriott.

The man said his son phoned him from Jakarta, where he was working, and told him he was on his way to hospital.

His left leg was bleeding and he'd lost hearing in one ear but he told his father he was OK, the man said.

<snip> http://www.smh.com.au/world/bombs-explode-at-jakarta-hotels-20090717-dnkd.html