RI condemns London attacks, one Indonesian injured
Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian government has condemned the terrorist attacks in London on Thursday, in which 33 people were confirmed killed and hundreds injured.
Marty Natalegawa, foreign ministry spokesman, said the government had been shocked by the news and offered its sympathy to the victims of the blast, which rocked the London subway and ripped open at least one packed double-decker bus during the morning rush hour.
"We are appalled by the news of the terrible acts of terrorism that struck London. We condemn these acts, which remind us that such acts of terrorism can strike any place at any time, causing great suffering to innocents. We express our sympathy to those who have lost their family members and friends in the explosions and pray for the wounded, for their speedy recovery," he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
He confirmed that an Indonesian, Agus Warcoko, had sustained a minor injury in the blast. Agus, the deputy general manager of the London branch of Bank Negara Indonesia, was boarding the bus on Woburn Place.
"He is being treated at a nearby hotel, which is also sheltering many victims who suffered minor injuries," Marty, who has been nominated for the post of ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland, said.
The blasts took place in four places -- three at busy underground train stations and one on the bus, according to BBC News. The explosions hit the Aldgate East-Liverpool Street Tube Stations, Edgware Road Tube Station, King's Cross Tube-Russel Square and on a bus that was cruising on Woburn Place, which is close to Russel Square.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair told a press conference in the middle of the Group of Eight industrialized countries summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, that "it is reasonably clear that there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London".
Marty said the embassy in UK had warned, after the attacks, Indonesian nationals to remain alert.
The Indonesian Embassy is located in the vicinity of Grosvenor Square, across from the U.S. Embassy. Eddy Pratomo, charge d'affaires at the Indonesian Embassy, said that both embassies remained alert to any possible security threat.
"The U.S. embassy is getting well-prepared. So are we," he said over the telephone from London.
He said the embassy was cooperating with the UK foreign ministry to get the latest updates on the incident.
Eddy said that mobile communications crashed in the aftermath of the explosions. "Our mobile connections are jammed. We are experiencing difficulties in getting information about the situation," he said.