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| Monday, 14 October, 2002, 18:17 GMT 19:17 UK Al-Qaeda blamed for Bali bombing ![]() Many bodies have still not been identified Indonesia's defence minister has accused Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network of involvement in the massive bomb attack on the island of Bali which killed at least 188 people. The American FBI and experts from Australia and Britain have joined the investigation, and Indonesian police say they have the names of several suspects.
The attack, in the resort of Kuta, destroyed the Sari Club, a nightspot popular with foreign tourists, and many of the victims were burned beyond recognition. Hundreds were injured and about 220 Australians remain unaccounted for. UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Monday it is now thought that 33 Britons are among the dead Many Balinese, as well as other Europeans, Americans, New Zealanders and Singaporeans are also among the dead and injured. With so many still missing, officials say it is impossible to put an exact figure on the death toll. The Crisis Centre in Bali, an information centre being run by the local authorities, says it could now be as high as 216. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is now in Bali.
"We want the Indonesians to bring to justice the people who are responsible for this outrage," he said. US President George Bush has said he also wants Indonesia to make great efforts to track down the killers, adding that he "assumed" al-Qaeda was behind the attack.
While no-one has admitted carrying out the attack, Indonesian Defence Minister Matori Abdul Djalil said earlier he believed it was linked to the al-Qaeda network. "We are sure al-Qaeda is here," the minister said in Jakarta after a cabinet meeting. "The Bali bomb blast is related to al-Qaeda with the co-operation of local terrorists." Despite the minister's statement, investigators have yet to reveal who their chief suspects are. As they continue to scour the bomb site, many embassies - including the British and American - are advising people to cancel planned holidays in Indonesia. All US nationals in the country have been told to leave - including diplomats and non-emergency government staff. The destruction is said to have begun after a small homemade device exploded outside a bar in Kuta about 30 metres from the Sari Club, where just seconds later a huge car bomb was detonated. The area was completely destroyed, and many people were trapped by flames and collapsing buildings. Analysts have suggested the attack could be the work of Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiah, a group suspected of al-Qaeda links, but a cleric accused of being the group's leader denied he had had any role in the bombing. Missing lists Injured Australians, many with severe burns, have been evacuated on government Hercules planes or special commercial flights, with more heading home on Monday.
Lists of missing people have been posted in Bali and officials warn it could take days to identify all the victims, some of whom were trapped in the Sari club by a wall of flames. A notice board at the hospital in Bali includes a section called "Identity Unknown" and lists details on victims such as: "Young girl in intensive care, 11-14 years old, face burned, in coma. Caucasian," or "Girl in intensive care, about 5 years old, 130 cm, fair skin, Caucasian with reddish brown hair. She has a purplish belly button ring." ![]() |
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