Coca-Cola truck explodes, terrorism may be involved

A truck belonging to a company contracted to Coca-Cola exploded in flames 19 kilometers north of Denpasar, Bali, on Monday morning, three days after a bomb warning.

Police are investigating the possibility it was a terrorist attack, an attack that coincides with the Bali bombing trials in the Denpasar District Court.

A total of 202 people, mostly young foreign tourists, died while hundreds of others were injured in the blasts in Kuta on Oct. 12 last year.

The parked 12-wheel truck burst into flames after three loud explosions destroyed its left rear tires. The truck and 22,680 empty bottles of Coca-Cola worth Rp 40 million (US$5000) were completely destroyed.

No casualties were reported.

The fire did not spread to 15 other trucks parked in the yard of Mitra Nusa Pertiwi, a hauler for Coca-Cola.

"The truck had just returned from picking up empty bottles at Coca-Cola's warehouse in Denpasar," said on-duty security officer Ketut Martana.

Mengwi Police Chief Adj. Comr. I.B. Astika said on Tuesday that a Mitra Nusa Pertiwi employee, I Made Kamardika, had reported receiving a bomb hoax on Friday.

"This was why I sent the bomb squad to the scene," Astika said.

"So far, however, they haven't found any trace of explosives on the wreck of the truck. But the forensic team is still conducting laboratory tests to determine the cause of the explosions and the fire."

The 10-member bomb squad, led by Second Insp. Rizal, spent seven hours at the scene searching for traces of explosives.

Astika said the forensic team would carry out on-site analysis on Wednesday and was expected to come up with the cause of the explosion.

Any bomb attack in Bali is likely to have an adverse effect on Bali's struggling tourism industry, which has started to show signs of recovering after last year's devastating attacks. -- JP