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Australian Foreign Minister to Visit Jakarta Following Bombing in Front of Australian Embassy
Friday, 10 September, 2004 | 08:03 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Following the bombing incident that took place on Thursday (09/09) afternoon in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer is on his way to Jakarta at the order of Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

“We assume that they will arrive in Jakarta on Thursday night or Friday morning (10/09),” Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs’ spokesman Marty Natalegawa told Tempo News Room on Thursday (09/09).

The Australian government is also sending nine Australian Federal Police bomb experts and several medical officers.

Meanwhile, based on information received by Natalegawa, Australian Ambassador David Ritchie and all his staff are in a good condition and suffered no injuries during the incident.

Ambassador Ritchie and his staff were in the Embassy building when the bombing took place.

Up to the time of this report, 98 people had been injured in the bombing incident.

They were reportedly receiving medical treatment at the MMC Kuningan Hospital nearby to the Embassy office.

Five people were reportedly killed in the incident.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade immediately issued a travel warning on Thursday (09/09) for all Australians planning to visit Indonesia

The Australian government also ordered all Australians to stay away from the Australian Embassy’s office area in Jakarta until further notice and to leave Indonesia immediately for their own safety.

Trini Suwalang, spokesperson for the Indonesian Embassy for Australia in Canberra, said that the Australian government has earlier issued a travel warning related to the US government’s warning over possible terrorist threats.

Before heading to Jakarta, Australian foreign minister Downer accused the Jemaah Islamiyah group of being behind the bombing incident. (Sita Planasari - Tempo News Room)