17 July 2009

Eye witness: I saw suicide bomber

JAKARTA - An eyewitness to the Jakarta hotel bombings said he saw what appeared to be body of a suicide bomber on the floor of the Ritz Carlton’s Airlangga restaurant.

Greg Woolstencroft, speaking to CNN said he entered the restaurant soon after hearing the bomb blasts around 7.30am.

"The restaurant was totally devastated. I saw a mangled body lying on the floor which appeared to be a that of a suicide bomber."

Woolstencroft, who lives across the road from the Ritz-Carlton, said he was amazed that anyone with a bomb could get past the security at the Ritz Carlton.

"It’s got the highest security of an hotel in Indonesia. There are metal barriers, armed guards, your bags are searched and you go through a metal detector."

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Bombers had room in the Marriott

Reports said the bombers left at undetonated bomb in an undetonated bomb in a room on the 18th floor of the Marriott, where the bombers had stayed for two nights. It was defused by the police. A U.S. based security company has warned its subscribers, of which my employer is one, to avoid international and American chain hotels as well as restaurants and other places which are frequented by ex-pats. Their advisories suggest avoiding rooms at the front of hotels, between the 1st and 3rd floors - to avoid potential bomb blast. Furthermore, don't stay higher than the 5th floor in a hotel so rescuers can reach guests easily. I always take an emergency kit containing a battery smoke detector, flashlight/torch and a whistle. The latter two can be used to draw attention if stuck on a balcony.

By J Hewson, Tuesday, July 21, 2009