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)