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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesian bombing kills 2 |
| 2004-05-04 |
| A bomb at a grocery store killed two people and injured four in the Indonesian city of Pekanbaru, the same day a terror trial began in the city on Sumatra island. Police said the bomb contained high explosives including RDX, which was also used in the Marriott and Bali blasts. Asked if it was a terrorist attack, Riau provincial police spokesman S. Pandiangan said: "We're investigating. Our preliminary finding shows that device contained C4, RDX and nitrate. They are high explosives." The store, at the end of a row of two-storey buildings, collapsed upon itself in the explosion which also damaged an adjoining multi-level marketing company. Two maids working for the shopowner were killed. One of them was found beneath debris more than one hour after the explosion. The shopowner, named Along, was seriously hurt but his wife Yuliana and one of their children were only slightly injured. Police said they are Buddhists. "He is not conscious yet," Yuliana told AFP from her husband's bedside. She said his entire body had been crushed by debris, but declined to answer further questions. "I feel dizzy," she said. Pandiangan said police also found a seriously injured man about 30 meters (100 feet) away from the site of the blast. "We have not yet been able to identify this Mr. X because he is still in critical condition," he said. Hospital workers told AFP the man was about 30 years old and was unconscious with a burn wound to his mouth. Pandiangan declined to say whether he might have been linked to the bombing. Riswan, a local resident quoted by the state Antara news agency, said: "I was nearly 60 meters from the scene. I thought there'd been an earthquake, but after a few moments I heard someone shouting for help. I went to the scene and saw that shophouse smashed to smithereens." Riau provincial police chief Brigadier General Deddy Komaruddin said police could not yet determine whether the bombing was linked to the trial of Zuflius bin Yunus -- also known as Datuk Rajo Ameh or Muchtar Tanjung -- which began Tuesday in Pekanbaru. "At this moment our team is still working hard to solve this case," the police chief said. Yunus is accused of involvement in the bombing of a Protestant church in Pekanbaru on Christmas Eve 2000. The blast, which seriously damaged the church and about 10 surrounding buildings, left five dead and 21 injured. The prosecutor also accused Yunus of having stored chemicals used to build bombs at his home and at another building he owned. Chief Judge Zahrul Rabani adjourned the trial until May 12 to hear the defence plea. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |