Police comb Exchange for bomb

Police comb Exchange for bomb

JAKARTA (JP): A bomb disposal squad searched 32-floor Jakarta
Stock Exchange (JSX) building last night after police were
notified of a series of threatening phone calls.

The calls may have been a hoax: by 9 p.m., the Jakarta Police
team found no bomb.

"It was likely to be the work of a prankster," Captain Hapsoro
Wahyu P., head of the bomb squad, told reporters.

More than 1,000 workers -- including stock traders, brokers
and business executives -- were evacuated from their offices at
around 5 p.m., after the building's management announced the
existence of bomb threats.

"We received three calls: one in the morning and two others in
the afternoon," a building security officer told reporters. "The
caller said he had planted the bomb somewhere in the basement."

The building's management contacted the police after the third
call.

When the evacuation began, trading at the stock market had
already stopped. But the exchange, as well as other offices in
the building, were still filled with workers.

Several executives from PT Ficoritas, a securities company
occupying the 21st floor, complained about poor building
management.

"The alarm system on our floor didn't work. We panicked
because we didn't know if people from the higher floors were
already evacuated," an assistant manager of Ficoritas said.

Another executive complained that it was very difficult for
him to get out from the parking area because only one exit gate
was open. (alo/jun)