Atrium blast related to earlier bombings: Police

Atrium blast related to earlier bombings: Police

JAKARTA (JP): City police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Yacob voiced
belief on Thursday that the Atrium Plaza bombing in Central
Jakarta was related to blasts under the Slipi flyover, West
Jakarta, and at two churches in East Jakarta.

"The earlier blasts had something in common with the Atrium
bombing, in that pellets were used in the bombs," Sofjan told
reporters.

Six people were injured in the explosion in the six-story
shopping plaza in Senen on Wednesday evening. The explosion under
a flyover in Slipi occurred on July 15, while bombs detonated on
July 22 in the Santa Anna church in Duren Sawit and the
Protestant Batak Church (HKBP) in Makassar district.

Commenting on the accusation that the police had failed to
protect the city from bombings, Sofjan said the police had tried
to prevent such incidents.

"But we cannot watch every space in the city," he said.

City police spokesman Sr. Com. Anton Bahrul Alam said the
police had questioned 16 witnesses, but no suspect had yet been
named.

Meanwhile, three of the six people hospitalized after the
Atrium bomb blast were released from Gatot Subroto Army Hospital
on Thursday morning.

One of those in the hospital, Dodi, is in intensive care after
having his right leg amputated.

According to nurse Merry Silaban at the hospital, Dodi is in
shock but is in a stable condition. His breathing is being
assisted by a respirator.

She said that Dodi claimed to be a resident of Kebagusan
Kecil, South Jakarta.

All three of those in the hospital are being tightly guarded
by the police, with only their immediate family being allowed to
visit.

The other two still in the hospital are Suryadi, a resident of
Bengkulu province, and a man claiming to be Iwan Daroji from
Jakarta.

The latter, however, was in the possession of an identity card
under the name of M. Darozat Arsyad, a resident of Cipinang Asem,
East Jakarta. He suffered cuts from flying glass from the blast.
He is said to be conscious and recovering well.

Suryadi is also recovering from cuts in his right thigh,
shoulder and arm.

Merry said that "the two victims are recovering well."

"We have removed the pieces of glass from their bodies. I'm
not sure about the one in ICU, he seems to be in a deep state of
shock," Merry said.

Separately, the plaza remained closed on Thursday, causing
losses of Rp 35 billion.

"Our daily transactions normally reach between Rp 30 billion
and Rp 35 billion," the mall's operator, PT Segitiga Atrium's
business development manager, Steven Tjen, told reporters.

Steven admitted that damage costs, such as broken windows and
damage to the main gate, were being calculated, adding that the
mall was insured.

He said the management was forced to close the mall on
Thursday since the National Police central forensics laboratory
was examining the scene.

"Thankfully the police are permitting us to resume business on
Friday. They understand that our tenants should resume business
to avoid more losses," he said.

Steven said the management, which had earlier deployed three
sniffer dogs and 200 security officers, had received no warning
prior to the explosion.

He denied that the blast had caused serious damage and
destroyed stores inside the mall, saying that only glass, walls
and the roof outside the mall had been damaged in the explosion.

"Actually, we could resume business today, but due to the
laboratory unit investigation, we closed today and will resume
operations tomorrow," Steven said. (jun/06)