Ireland

At least 22 dead, dozens injured in Bali bomb attacks

A member of the Indonesian security forces at the scene of one of the bombings

Sat Oct 01 2005 - 01:00
A member of the Indonesian security forces at the scene of one of the bombings

At least twenty-two people were killed and dozens more are injured following a series of explosions today in the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

We will hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

At least two explosions took place, one at a cafe on Jimbaran beach and the other in Kuta town square an area that is popular with Western tourists.

The victims included foreign tourists. However, there are no reports of any Irish citizens being injured in the bombings.

The bodies of 22 people were counted in two hospitals - 11 at Sangla and 11 at Graha Asih. One Japanese citizen and one Australian are confirmed dead.

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Close to 50 others were admitted with injuries, many of them serious, including eight Australians and two Americans.

A local television station said there were two blasts at Jimbaran and two at Kuta. It quoted witnesses who said one of the Jimbaran explosions was near the upmarket Four Seasons Hotel.

Reuters Television pictures from Sanglah hospital showed the dead bodies of an Indonesian boy and one male foreigner.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is en routeto the island, condemned the attacks as a criminal act. He also warned of the possibility of further attacks.

"We will hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice," he said after being briefed by top security officials. He also urged people "to be on alert."

The blasts "were clearly the work of terrorists," said police Major General Ansyaad Mbai, a top Indonesian anti-terrorism official.

The explosions come almost exactly three years since Islamic militants linked to al Qaeda bombed two nightclubs in Kuta in October 2002, killing 202 people, mainly foreign tourists.

Indonesia officials have been warning for months that Islamic militants were likely to launch more bombing attacks in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

While there are no reports of any Irish citizens being injured in the bombings, the Department of Foreign Affairs has set up an emergency helpline.

There are two numbers for the helpline, 01-408 2308 and 01-408 2833.