Ten people killed in JSX blast

JAKARTA (JP): A powerful blast rocked the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building here on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens.

The dead, mostly drivers, were brought up one-by-one about four hours after the 3:17 p.m. blast by a joint search and rescue team from the smoke-filled second tier of the underground parking lot of the 34-story skyscraper.

Almost no wounds were to be found on the dead, who were rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital and the Pertamina Hospital after the evening evacuation.

Medical sources at the hospital said two of the bodies were badly charred, while three died from suffocation with the remaining five falling victim to smoke inhalation.

Police last night said that the fatalities could reach to 15.

Some of the more than 30 injured in the blast have been allowed to leave the nearby Pertamina Hospital while the others have had to be hospitalized overnight for burns.

None of the floor traders or JSX officials were injured. But trading was suspended 12 minutes after the explosion. Usually, JSX trading closes at 4 p.m.

"The trading equipment is safe and has been evacuated to a safer place. All transactions are safe. The validity of transactions during the second session (on Wednesday) will be announced on Thursday," stated a release from the JSX which was made available to The Jakarta Post in the evening.

The release added that the trading would be closed on Thursday and resume on Monday at the latest, depending on police approval.

Most of the cars parked in the P2 underground parking lot, the lowest level of the building, were totally incinerated by the fire caused by the blast.

Police have yet to determine the type of explosive but said that it was a car bomb.

Jakarta Police spokesman Supt. Nur Usman said the blast came from powerful explosives placed inside a car parked in the P2 parking lot.

"The power of the blast must be at least half that of the explosion that went off (on Aug. 1) in front of the residence of the Philippine ambassador (in Central Jakarta)," Usman stated.

A police source said last night that the car was of Toyota Kijang van. "Before the explosion, somebody saw flames emerging from the vehicle," the source said.

City Police chief of operational control, Sr. Supt. Nono Suprijono, said one man has been detained for questioning.

He gave no further explanation but many said the man was seen fleeing from the site shortly after the blast and was caught by the building's security guards later.

Judging from the absence of wounds on the dead bodies, South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Supt. Edward Aritonang said midnight Wednesday that his detectives would start a thorough investigation of the blast on Thursday.

"We want to find out whether this blast was caused by human hands or by an electrical problem," he said.

Located in the vast Central Business District and close to Jakarta Police headquarters in South Jakarta, the JSX building has become a landmark in the capital. It houses, among others, the World Bank, oil firms, airliner Cathay Pacific and major stockbroking companies.

The blast which took place while hundreds of people still working at the building left many of them in shock.

The evacuation ran smoothly with many of evacuees using the lifts. Some employees said that the electricity supply had been turned on and off at least eight times the day before the blast.

Trading on the JSX was suspended with the index closing at 442.091 points, about two percent lower than the previous day.

Prominent market analyst Lin Che Wei described the bombing as another blow to Indonesia's high risk country rating.

"I can only urge investors to remain cool headed and refrain from panic selling," Lin told The Jakarta Post.

However, he noted that the market might have already taken account of the "cristal clear link" behind the bombing, namely an attempt to pressure the government during the hearing of former president Soeharto's graft case.

The second session of the trial of Soeharto's alleged corruption case is scheduled to be held on Thursday. A day prior to the initial hearing two weeks ago, a strong blast went off in an empty minibus near the Ministry of Agriculture, which has been converted to the venue for the hearing.

A few hours after the blast at the JSX, National Police chief. Gen. Rusdihardjo and senior city officials said that the explosion "could be part of a terror campaign (against the government) prior to the (second) hearing of Soeharto's corruption case."

"It could be a terrorist act because the way it went off was similar to other bombs that exploded moments before or after the former president's investigation and trial," Rusdihardjo said after a meeting with ministers under the coordination of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The evacuation of the dead, which lasted until midnight and which was carried out by personnel from the marines, bomb squad and fire fighters, faced several problems as water started to flood the P2 parking lot.

As of midnight, police and medical sources at the Pertamina and Cipto hospitals had identified eight of the victims, aged between 27 and 55, as Nawawi from Cikini, Munawir from Ciputat, Kokong Jaya from Ciputat, Widodo Chandra from Ciputat, Robiman from Ciledug, Irmansyah, computer shop owner Marsidi and JSX security guard Husni.

Rusdihardjo apologized for the National Police's inability to solve the bombings, arrest the perpetrators and identify the parties that were behind the actions.

"I must express our regret at having no arrests in connection with the bombings," he said, adding the Police would continue their investigations. (jaw/rms/bkm/ylt/07)