ABC AUSTRALIA, 23/09/2002 18:43:24
Jakarta police question car bomb suspect
A car laden with explosives has blown up prematurely near a US embassy residence
in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, killing one passenger and injuring the driver.
Police say two other passengers fled the scene of the explosion, which took place
near the city centre.
They say the blast caused the van to swerve into an electricity pole near the US
embassy house, but there was no sign of substantial damage to nearby buildings.
Police say the passenger who was killed was handling the explosives at the time.
The lightly injured driver is now being interrogated by police.
Jakarta police chief Anton Bachrul Alam says it is too early to know whether the
explosion is connected to recent bomb threats against the US embassy in Jakarta.
The US embassy in Jakarta and the US consulate in the city of Surabaya reopened a
week ago after a security threat linked to the al-Qaeda network forced a six day
shutdown.
23/09/2002 18:43:24 | ABC Radio Australia News
© 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
