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Fatal blasts hit Jakarta hotels Fatal blasts hit Jakarta hotels
(about 1 hour later)
At least six people have been killed in two separate explosions at luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, police say. At least six people including some foreigners have been killed in two separate blasts at luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, police say.
The country's Metro TV reported that one blast hit the Ritz-Carlton and the other, the Marriott Hotel. The country's Metro TV reported that one explosion hit the Ritz-Carlton and the other, the Marriott Hotel.
Television footage showed the facade of one of the hotels had been torn off by the blast.Television footage showed the facade of one of the hotels had been torn off by the blast.
The BBC's Karishma Vaswani, outside the Marriott, said ambulances are present and security is extremely tight.The BBC's Karishma Vaswani, outside the Marriott, said ambulances are present and security is extremely tight.
South Jakarta police Col Firman Bundi said four people who died were foreigners, reported AP. I heard two sounds like 'boom, boom' coming from the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton - then I saw people running out Eko SusantoSecurity guard class="" href="/2/hi/asia-pacific/8155097.stm">In pictures: Jakarta hotel blasts
"There were explosions heard from two separate places, one the JW Marriott, the other in the Ritz Carlton," he said. Police say the blasts were probably bombs, but this has not yet been confirmed and the cause is not known.
"We are still trying to check because right now we are still helping the victims," he said. The blasts occurred at about 0730 local time (0030 GMT).
"I heard two sounds like 'boom, boom' coming from the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton. Then I saw people running out," security guard Eko Susanto told AFP.
Myra Junor, who witnessed the blasts from a nearby building, told Reuters windows on the lower floors of the Ritz-Carlton had shattered.Myra Junor, who witnessed the blasts from a nearby building, told Reuters windows on the lower floors of the Ritz-Carlton had shattered.
Ambulances are continuing to arrive on the scene and there is a heavy police presence, says our correspondent. Ambulances are on the scene and there is a heavy police presence, says our correspondent.
An Australian man told local radio in Australia that his son had been hurt at the Marriott and was being taken to hospital.
The man, who identified himself only as Jim, said his son had telephoned him from Jakarta to say his leg was wounded and he had lost hearing in one ear in an explosion.
"He's on his way to hospital. He's OK," Jim said.
The two hotels are in Jakarta's central business district.The two hotels are in Jakarta's central business district.
The explosions come two weeks after presidential elections in Indonesia. The explosions come two weeks after peaceful presidential elections in Indonesia.
Past tensions
The country of 240 million people has been praised in recent years for maintaining a pluralist democracy while finding and punishing radical Islamists responsible for a series of bombings five years ago.
Officials say they have no idea what caused the latest explosions.
Church bombings in 2000 killed 19 people.
Bomb attacks on two nightclubs in Bali in October 2002 killed 202 people, most of them Australian.
The Marriott Hotel was the target of a bomb attack in August 2003 in which 13 people were killed. A bomb outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004 killed nine people.
Since then, a combination of new laws, anti-terror training, international cooperation and reintegration measures have kept Indonesia peaceful, analysts have said.
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