Three questioned over blast in Blok M area

JAKARTA (JP): Police are still questioning two cleaners and a wounded security officer in relation with the blast near the Blok M Shopping Mall in South Jakarta on Wednesday morning.

City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto insisted the blast was not caused by a bomb or dynamite.

"It was just harmless fireworks," the two-star general told reporters yesterday.

Reliable sources at the South Jakarta police precinct, which is handling the case, said that one of the cleaners found the package on the ground floor of the bus terminal next to the shopping mall in the early hours of Wednesday.

He then reportedly went to the nearby security post with his colleague and handed it over to the on-duty guard, Lukito.

Seconds after being in Lukito's possession, the parcel exploded, slightly wounding his nose and hands.

After receiving several stitches, the security officer was allowed to leave hospital yesterday morning and was questioned by police officers along with the cleaners, identified as Iwan and Warsidi.

There were no other reported casualties.

According to Hindarto, police have yet to reveal any motive for an unidentified party to place the package at the terminal, which is normally crowded during the day.

"Members of the City Police Bomb Squad are still studying all material evidence found at the scene of the blast," he said.

A timer was reportedly fixed to the package which gave the impression of a time bomb but Hindarto said it was just a toy and nothing to do with bombs.

The blast, which would have occurred inside the city's busy bus terminal, led the public to link it with the upcoming 18- country Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting to be attended by a number of heads of state, including the United States President Bill Clinton.

However, Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman yesterday denied that the blast could have any connection to meeting. (bsr/22)