Three blasts stun demonstrators<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Three strong blasts shocked thousands of
\nsupporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) staging a mass rally on major streets of Jakarta on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
Police put the number of injured victims at at least 30
\npeople. Some sufferer serious burns.<\/p>\n
The first blast took place at 11:30 a.m. at the western part
\nof the pond in the middle of the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle
\nin Central Jakarta, about the same time that the 700 legislators
\nwere preparing to cast their votes for a new president.<\/p>\n
At the time, hundreds of PDI Perjuangan supporters were
\nsinging and dancing during the rally, cheerfully anticipating the
\nvictory of their party's chairwoman, Megawati Soekarnoputri, in
\nher presidential bid.<\/p>\n
At least four people were injured, including two members of
\nthe PDI Perjuangan security task force.<\/p>\n
The explosion left a 10-centimeter hole in the ground where a
\ndecorative flower pot stood. The steel pot was broken into
\npieces.<\/p>\n
The site was hastily secured by security personnel until the
\nGegana bomb squad arrived half an hour later.<\/p>\n
\"It's definitely a handmade bomb. TNT (trinitrotoluene) was
\nplanted under the pot,\" a police detective, who asked for
\nanonymity, said.<\/p>\n
\"The bomb might have been planted sometime early in the
\nmorning,\" the officer added.<\/p>\n
While officers were collecting shredded pieces of plant and
\npot, another group of PDI Perjuangan 500 supporters arrived in a
\ntruck carrying a powerful sound system.<\/p>\n
Apparently unaware of the blast, they played a dangdut song
\nand happily danced together, praising Megawati.<\/p>\n
The four injured victims were rushed to nearby Cipto
\nMangunkusumo General Hospital.<\/p>\n
They were all released from the hospital two hours later after
\nbeing treated for their wounds.<\/p>\n
Most of them had minor burns and were temporarily deafened in
\nthe left ear.<\/p>\n
At about 4 p.m., when news of that Megawati had lost the race
\nhad been announced and the disappointed PDI Perjuangan supporters
\nwere heading toward the People's Consultative Assembly complex to
\nprotest Megawati's defeat, another bomb exploded. It is believed
\nthe blast came from an empty jeep parked in the middle of the
\ncrowd in front of the prestigious Jakarta Hilton Convention
\nCenter, about 1.2 kilometers from the Assembly. The number of
\nprotesting supporters had grown to 5,000 people by then.<\/p>\n
The blast was so strong that The Jakarta Post reporters, who
\nwere standing 20 meters from the scene, felt the ground shake.
\nThe explosion sounded similar to thousands of firecrackers going
\noff at once.<\/p>\n
There were no details of exactly where the bomb had been
\nplanted. One version had it that the bomb was put under the
\nDaihatsu Taft car, another version was that it was inside the
\nvehicle.<\/p>\n
The explosion caused severe facial and bodily injuries to
\nthose standing around the vehicle. It also seemed to trigger
\nmadness in the crowd, members of which started hurling rocks and
\nbamboo sticks in the direction of the police officers and
\njournalists.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said the blast
\nleft at least 26 men injured, including 18 security personnel and
\na reporter from a Hong Kong television station.<\/p>\n
The victims were taken to Mintohardjo Navy Hospital and
\nSukanto Police Hospital in East Jakarta; Pertamina Hospital in
\nSouth Jakarta and a clinic at the Jakarta Police Headquarters,
\nthe officer said.<\/p>\n
Most of the victims suffered injuries and burns to the face,
\neyes and legs.<\/p>\n
Zainuri handed out a list of the 26 victims, who he said were
\ninjured during the blast. However, some of the people listed,
\nsuch as Maj. Sudarmadji, were wounded at another spot on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
The Post witnessed four people badly injured in the blast.<\/p>\n
As of last night, police had yet to reveal the name of the
\nowner of the jeep, the number plate number of which was B 1572
\nWZ. The car was not in the PDI Perjuangan convoy.<\/p>\n
From the destroyed vehicle, members of the crowd found a
\ncertificate for a short course on electricity issued by a local
\ngiant carmaker. It apparently bore the name of Asep Sugianto, an
\nemployee of an Auto 2000 workshop here.<\/p>\n
Doctors at the emergency unit of Cipto Mangunkusumo said the
\nburns suffered by the victims were not too serious, but some of
\nthe people received gashes from flying car body fragments.<\/p>\n
Most of the four victims needed several stitches.<\/p>\n
The third blast took place at a tollbooth which had been set
\nalight by the crowd. There were no casualties.
\n(ylt\/01\/04\/jun\/asa\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-blasts-stun-demonstrators-1447893297",
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