Blast leaves police, residents disturbed

BEKASI (JP): In the wake of terror that has disturbed the country's legislators, a Saturday night explosion at the traffic turn of Jl. Juanda, next to Hotel Merdeka, caused severe injuries to one of two victims and disturbed the Bekasi Police and residents in the area.

While the police stressed that a bottle of oil accidentally caught fire and in turn caused the blast, residents insisted that a homemade bomb resulted in 20 centimeter-deep and 50 centimeter- wide hole in the road.

Bekasi Police chief Lt. Col. Sutarman identified the severely injured victim as Ali Topan, 17, a sidewalk vendor who suffered wounds to his left underarm, his right and left chest and his left hand.

"Some kids were playing with a bottle, they filled it with oil and the bottle caught fire. The thing blew up and Ali was injured," Sutarman told reporters.

Bekasi Police chief of detectives Capt. Illham S. Hasibuan, however, said the person playing with the bottle was Ali himself.

Local residents immediately rushed Ali to the Bekasi General Hospital following the blast which occurred at about 9 p.m.

He was reportedly then moved to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital on Sunday morning, but reporters failed to locate Ali at the hospital, despite waiting until Sunday evening.

The other unidentified victim is reportedly suffering slight injuries to the face, but there is no information on the whereabouts of the person.

Saur, a resident in the area, separately said he had been hanging around outside Hotel Merdeka for quite a while before the explosion occurred.

"I clearly saw Ali walking on the sidewalk. He was not playing with anything. He was just walking ... suddenly there was an explosion," Saur told reporters.

"Everybody in Cut Meutiah Park and those on the sidewalk fled, including myself. Ali was the one caught in it."

"How can the police say a glass bottle that caught fire caused the blast, when iron shrapnel was found on the road?" (ylt)