Bomb scare diverts Merpati flight in E. Timor<\/p>\n
DILI (JP): A Merpati Nusantara Airlines flight carrying three
\nprominent East Timor figures was diverted from Komoro Airport
\nfollowing a bomb scare, officials said.<\/p>\n
East Timor Governor Jose Osorio Abilio Soares, Police chief
\nCol. Timbul Silaen and Baucau Bishop Basilio Do Nascimento were
\namong the diverted Boeing 737's 100 passengers. The airplane was
\nrerouted to El Tari Airport in neighboring Kupang on the western
\ntip of the island, said Edo Riadi, an official at Merpati.<\/p>\n
The plane took off from Denpasar, Bali, and was scheduled to
\nland at 11:30 a.m. in Dili.<\/p>\n
An unidentified caller said he had planted a bomb in the
\nairport and would set it off if the plane landed there, Edo said.<\/p>\n
The call was received by a Merpati office manager at Dili's
\nKomoro airport at 10:45 a.m. local time. The airport tower
\nreported the threat to the airplane 45 minutes later, Col. Timbul
\nSilaen told The Jakarta Post several hours after the incident.<\/p>\n
A police bomb squad was deployed to sweep the airport,
\ndeclaring the airport safe after finding nothing suspicious.<\/p>\n
The airplane then flew from Kupang to Dili, landing at 4:00
\np.m., according to Arsan Sirait, the chief of Komoro Airport.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Antara reported the bomb scare caused panic among
\npassengers at the airport. One passenger, priest Eduard Ratu
\nDopo, said rumors about the bomb circulated among passengers at
\naround 11:00 a.m.<\/p>\n
Dopo said that he heard the bomb would be set off when the
\npassenger plane carrying Soares, the bishop and Silaen landed.<\/p>\n
Tensions between pro-integration and pro-independence groups
\nin East Timor have risen since the government announced on Jan.
\n27 that it would give the territory independence if it rejected
\nJakarta's offer of wide-ranging autonomy.<\/p>\n
A number of people have died in clashes between the two
\ngroups. (33\/01)<\/p>",
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