Explosion startles S. Jakarta residents<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): After a recent string of blasts, a small
\nexplosion shocked residents of the Gudang Peluru Complex in South
\nJakarta on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
No fatalities or injuries were reported following the
\nexplosion, which was reportedly caused by firecrackers placed
\ninside an empty energy-drink bottle.<\/p>\n
The blast occurred at a minibus depot and damaged a
\nsurrounding wall. The depot, which houses minibuses plying the
\nKampung Melayu-Manggarai route, was empty when the bottle
\nexploded.<\/p>\n
The bottle containing the firecrackers was reportedly planted
\nthere by two former minibus crew members.<\/p>\n
"We have arrested both suspects, Purwanto and Saito, who were
\nseen by eyewitnesses running off following the explosion and giggling
\nhysterically. They told police officers that they were just
\nexperimenting," South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Bambang W.
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
Bambang said that the police were investigating the
\npossibility that the suspects planted the low-level explosive
\ndevice at the depot in order to take revenge against the depot
\nowner, Siswanto, after both suspects lost their jobs as minibus
\ncrew members.<\/p>\n
Monday's explosion occurred minutes after firecrackers had
\nbeen let off during a religious ceremony in the area which was
\nattended by the neighborhood unit (RT) and community unit (RW)
\nheads.<\/p>\n
"After the firecrackers had been let off during the ceremony,
\nsuddenly we heard a loud bang and it did not come from the
\nceremony. Then we saw these two men running away and giggling,"
\nan eyewitness said.<\/p>\n
"We searched for the source of the explosion and found that it
\nwas in the minibus depot."<\/p>\n
A hand grenade thrown by a passerby who was possibly on foot
\nor riding in a vehicle exploded on Sunday evening under the
\nMampang Prapatan flyover, South Jakarta, just four days after a
\nhand grenade exploded under the Slipi flyover in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
In the Slipi flyover incident, one man eventually died of
\nblast injuries.<\/p>\n
It is feared among lower-ranking police officers from the
\nJakarta Police that a blast could occur under the Taman Ria-
\nSenayan flyover in Senayan, Central Jakarta, located about 500
\nmeters away from the People's Consultative Assembly\/House of
\nRepresentatives building.<\/p>\n
The Assembly is slated to convene a special session on August
\n1, that will likely lead to the removal from office of President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid. (ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/explosion-startles-s-jakarta-residents-1447893297",
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