ABC AUSTRALIA, 14/10/2002 10:13:41
Eyewitness accounts of Bali bombings
Many of those in the nightclubs destroyed in the attack were very young, taking part
in what's become a virtual rite of passage for Australian youth, the holiday to an island
where cutting loose has been de rigeur, and free from risk, until now. Our Indonesia
Correspondent spoke to some of those caught up in the tragedy.
Transcript:
LINDA MOTTRAM: Many of those in the nightclubs destroyed in the attack were very
young, taking part in what's become a virtual rite of passage for Australian youth, the
holiday to an island where cutting loose has been de rigeur, and free from risk, until
now.
Our Indonesia Correspondent Tim Palmer has been speaking to some of those caught
up in the tragedy, including two young South Australians named Gavin and Scott who
were very nearby when it happened.
GAVIN: I just felt like I'd got hit by a truck or something, just the force. The ground
sort of, like, dropped about five foot.
The second blast went, we dropped again and everyone was screaming and running
and hiding and just didn't know where to go. So we just bailed out the windows and
landed on cars underneath.
There was broken glass everywhere. Couldn't recognise the place where we'd just
come out of and the Sari club was just up in flames.
TIM PALMER: Did you know that people had been killed at the time? What were you
thinking?
GAVIN: Yeah, as we were coming out, we saw a few bodies laying around
downstairs. There was nothing left downstairs, just black, dust. So much dust, we
couldn't see, burning your eyes and just shrapnel going everywhere.
Yeah glad to be out, hopefully get home soon.
TIM PALMER: What do you think of the people who have done this?
GAVIN: I hope they have a good long hard look at themselves. Innocent people don't
deserve this type of stuff.
TIM PALMER: When you got to the street, what was it like?
GAVIN: It was just hot. It was a real dusty-type smell. It was the worst smell I've ever
smelt. I can't really describe what it smelt like. It was terrible.
TIM PALMER: What were you hearing?
GAVIN: Just screaming and banging and people yelling out, people running up to you
injured and wanting help. Everyone was just running everywhere, didn't know what to
do, where to go, what to do next.
TIM PALMER: What were people yelling out?
GAVIN: For help, bandages, people calling names for their friends, trying to find them.
We got back to the motel, all the mattresses out the door out of the room, sheets,
starting wrapping people up, trying to stop the bleeding. People who were burnt. It
wasn't very nice.
SCOTT: I was at the second level at Paddy's nightclub. The Sari club was just like a
bonfire, there was nothing left of it and then Paddy's started to collapse, the roof.
TIM PALMER: What did you think when you first heard the noise? Did you know?
SCOTT: No, just everything started to shake and I thought that, my next impression
was that there was going to be open fire for some reason. I don't know what made me
think that.
People running around calling out names and that. Thankfully we, all of us, six of us
boys found each other so we were pretty lucky.
TIM PALMER: When you found each other, what was that like?
SCOTT: Relief.
TIM PALMER: Fear?
SCOTT: Yeah. Plenty of tears. Just shock. Clean shock
TIM PALMER: Did it feel real?
SCOTT: Now it does. It's starting to sink in now.
LINDA MOTTRAM: South Australian boys Gavin and Scott in Bali speaking with our
Indonesia Correspondent Tim Palmer.
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14/10/2002 10:13:41 | ABC Radio Australia News
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