Plaza Mandiri receives third bomb hoax

JAKARTA: Hundreds of people working on the 33rd floor of Plaza Mandiri on Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta, were evacuated from the building following bomb threats.

The calls were received by Rospita, the phone operator at between 12:20 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. from allegedly different men who told her that the bomb would explode at 3 p.m. She told a security guard who immediately contacted Jakarta Police Headquarters.

Within 15 minutes, the bomb squad had arrived and started to comb the building.

At 3:40 p.m., the police declared the building safe from any bomb, said South Jakarta Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Abdul Rachman.

Abdul said the bomb squad had searched all public utilities, including parking lots and restrooms, which were also open to outsiders but found no bomb.

Soeswidijono, spokesperson of the building said Plaza Mandiri had received at least three bomb hoaxes in the past two years.

"We've received three similar calls, one last year, another last week on Saturday and today," he told reporters.

During office hours, around 3,500 people working for some 20 firms work at the building, but the current number was fewer due to the holiday season.--JP