Australia Calls on Citizens Not to Stay in Five Star Hotels
15 August 2003 14:44 WIB
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Australia has called on its citizens not to stay nor visit five star rated hotels in Jakarta.
We are telling them via e-mail, facsimile, telephone and through the embassys website, Kirk Cunningham, Press Attache of the Australian Embassy, told Tempo News Room by phone on Tuesday afternoon (5/8).
The embassy called on its citizens not to visit five star hotels after a huge blast rocked JW Marriot Hotel in Kuningan, South Jakarta - an area of town that is home to many foreign embassies and businesses - on Tuesday afternoon.
It seemed the high explosives were brought in a car while it was turning in front of the lobby.
Cunnigham went on to explain the Australian government would not issue a new travel warning due to this explosion.
He said that the government issued a travel warning not long after the Bali bombing action took place in October 2002 and it still was in effect.
So far, he said, he has not got information whether any Australian was a victim in the incident.
According to Australian Embassy records, there are about 7,000 Australians living in Jakarta.
(Faisal - TNR)
