Ten people killed in JSX blast<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A powerful blast rocked the Jakarta Stock
\nExchange (JSX) building here on Wednesday afternoon, killing at
\nleast 10 people and injuring dozens.<\/p>\n
The dead, mostly drivers, were brought up one-by-one about
\nfour hours after the 3:17 p.m. blast by a joint search and rescue
\nteam from the smoke-filled second tier of the underground parking
\nlot of the 34-story skyscraper.<\/p>\n
Almost no wounds were to be found on the dead, who were rushed
\nto Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital and the Pertamina Hospital
\nafter the evening evacuation.<\/p>\n
Medical sources at the hospital said two of the bodies were
\nbadly charred, while three died from suffocation with the
\nremaining five falling victim to smoke inhalation.<\/p>\n
Police last night said that the fatalities could reach to 15.<\/p>\n
Some of the more than 30 injured in the blast have been
\nallowed to leave the nearby Pertamina Hospital while the others
\nhave had to be hospitalized overnight for burns.<\/p>\n
None of the floor traders or JSX officials were injured. But
\ntrading was suspended 12 minutes after the explosion. Usually,
\nJSX trading closes at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"The trading equipment is safe and has been evacuated to a
\nsafer place. All transactions are safe. The validity of
\ntransactions during the second session (on Wednesday) will be
\nannounced on Thursday,\" stated a release from the JSX which was
\nmade available to The Jakarta Post in the evening.<\/p>\n
The release added that the trading would be closed on Thursday
\nand resume on Monday at the latest, depending on police approval.<\/p>\n
Most of the cars parked in the P2 underground parking lot, the
\nlowest level of the building, were totally incinerated by the
\nfire caused by the blast.<\/p>\n
Police have yet to determine the type of explosive but said
\nthat it was a car bomb.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police spokesman Supt. Nur Usman said the blast came
\nfrom powerful explosives placed inside a car parked in the P2
\nparking lot.<\/p>\n
\"The power of the blast must be at least half that of the
\nexplosion that went off (on Aug. 1) in front of the residence of
\nthe Philippine ambassador (in Central Jakarta),\" Usman stated.<\/p>\n
A police source said last night that the car was of Toyota
\nKijang van. \"Before the explosion, somebody saw flames emerging
\nfrom the vehicle,\" the source said.<\/p>\n
City Police chief of operational control, Sr. Supt. Nono
\nSuprijono, said one man has been detained for questioning.<\/p>\n
He gave no further explanation but many said the man was seen
\nfleeing from the site shortly after the blast and was caught by
\nthe building's security guards later.<\/p>\n
Judging from the absence of wounds on the dead bodies, South
\nJakarta Police chief Sr. Supt. Edward Aritonang said midnight
\nWednesday that his detectives would start a thorough
\ninvestigation of the blast on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"We want to find out whether this blast was caused by human
\nhands or by an electrical problem,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Located in the vast Central Business District and close to
\nJakarta Police headquarters in South Jakarta, the JSX building
\nhas become a landmark in the capital. It houses, among others,
\nthe World Bank, oil firms, airliner Cathay Pacific and major
\nstockbroking companies.<\/p>\n
The blast which took place while hundreds of people still
\nworking at the building left many of them in shock.<\/p>\n
The evacuation ran smoothly with many of evacuees using the
\nlifts. Some employees said that the electricity supply had been
\nturned on and off at least eight times the day before the blast.<\/p>\n
Trading on the JSX was suspended with the index closing at
\n442.091 points, about two percent lower than the previous day.<\/p>\n
Prominent market analyst Lin Che Wei described the bombing as
\nanother blow to Indonesia's high risk country rating.<\/p>\n
\"I can only urge investors to remain cool headed and refrain
\nfrom panic selling,\" Lin told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
However, he noted that the market might have already taken
\naccount of the \"cristal clear link\" behind the bombing, namely an
\nattempt to pressure the government during the hearing of former
\npresident Soeharto's graft case.<\/p>\n
The second session of the trial of Soeharto's alleged
\ncorruption case is scheduled to be held on Thursday. A day prior
\nto the initial hearing two weeks ago, a strong blast went off in
\nan empty minibus near the Ministry of Agriculture, which has been
\nconverted to the venue for the hearing.<\/p>\n
A few hours after the blast at the JSX, National Police chief.
\nGen. Rusdihardjo and senior city officials said that the
\nexplosion \"could be part of a terror campaign (against the
\ngovernment) prior to the (second) hearing of Soeharto's
\ncorruption case.\"<\/p>\n
\"It could be a terrorist act because the way it went off was
\nsimilar to other bombs that exploded moments before or after the
\nformer president's investigation and trial,\" Rusdihardjo said
\nafter a meeting with ministers under the coordination of the
\nCoordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
The evacuation of the dead, which lasted until midnight and
\nwhich was carried out by personnel from the marines, bomb squad
\nand fire fighters, faced several problems as water started to
\nflood the P2 parking lot.<\/p>\n
As of midnight, police and medical sources at the Pertamina
\nand Cipto hospitals had identified eight of the victims, aged
\nbetween 27 and 55, as Nawawi from Cikini, Munawir from Ciputat,
\nKokong Jaya from Ciputat, Widodo Chandra from Ciputat, Robiman
\nfrom Ciledug, Irmansyah, computer shop owner Marsidi and JSX
\nsecurity guard Husni.<\/p>\n
Rusdihardjo apologized for the National Police's inability to
\nsolve the bombings, arrest the perpetrators and identify the
\nparties that were behind the actions.<\/p>\n
\"I must express our regret at having no arrests in connection
\nwith the bombings,\" he said, adding the Police would continue
\ntheir investigations. (jaw\/rms\/bkm\/ylt\/07)<\/p>",
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