Two women injured in Semarang bomb blast
Two women injured in Semarang bomb blast
SEMARANG (JP): Two women were injured here on Tuesday after a
bomb exploded in their Toyota Kijang van at the Christ Alva Omega
Church on Jl. Gajah Mada.
Susana Hilda Riyanti, 50, the wife of preacher Timotius
Subekti, suffered serious leg injuries while her 30-year-old
daughter, Ferra, received minor injuries.
Susana was rushed to the Tlogorejo Hospital.
Witnesses said that Susana was still in the vehicle when the
bomb exploded, while Ferra had just got out.
"Seconds after Ferra opened the car door a deafening explosion
was heard," Yoga, a member of the church's congregation, said.
Quoting Ferra, Yoga said that two people on a motorcycle had
been following her and threw something into the van as it was
nearing the church.
Seconds after Ferra parked the van and got out of the vehicle,
something exploded in the car.
Police officers arrived at the scene minutes later, but
refused to make any statement about the incident.
Bombs exploded at two churches in Jakarta on July 22, leaving
70 people injured.
The first bomb exploded at Santa Anna Catholic church in the
Navy residential complex in Suren Sawit, East Jakarta, at 7:05
a.m. on Sunday, while the second explosion shook the Huriah
Kristen Batak Protestant (HKBP) church in the Army residential
complex in Jatiwaringin, also in East Jakarta, five minutes
later.
The church bombings evoked condemnation from various senior
officials, including the then president Abdurrahman Wahid,
People's Consultative Assembly speaker Amien Rais and House of
Representative's speaker Akbar Tandjung.
Meanwhile in the West Java town of Cirebon, a suspected
homemade bomb was found in the front yard of the At-Taqwa Mosque
on Jl. R.A. Kartini, on Tuesday by the mosque caretaker.
Upon hearing about the finding, the police bomb squad was
deployed to comb the area and defuse the bomb, Cirebon Police
chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Krido Sudibyo said, as quoted by Antara.
The officer said that the package contained a number of
electronic components and gunpowder, but was unlikely to explode
as it had not been properly assembled.
Certain threatening notes were also found with the package,
such as "This is a fake bomb" and "Subsequent explosions could
take place anywhere", the officer said.
The finding caused panic among locals but later in the day the
tension gradually died down, the report said.
The case is being handled by Cirebon Police, pending further
investigation. (har/sur)