NU leader: We strongly condemn bomb blasts

Jakarta, NU Online
General chairman of the Centarl Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Hasyim Muzadi said that NU strongly condemned the actors of of the deadly bomb explosions at the JW Marriot and Ritz Calton hotels in Kuningan, South Jakarta this morning.

"We of course strongly denounce the actors of the bomb explosions. For whatever the reason, violence is uncorrectable moreover (the explosions) were committed on such a scale," Hasyim said on the sidelines of a dedication of the Al Hikam II Islamic boarding school (pesantren) in Depok on Friday.<>

While, the death toll of the explosions at the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels has risen to nine and 41 others were injured, police said.

Head of the National Police`s Public Relations Division Inspector General Nanang Sukarna said that eight people were killed on the spot at the JW Marriott Hotel and two at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, while one died at the Medistra Hospital.

The injured, including at least 16 foreigners, were admitted to Pertamina Hospital (one person), the Jakarta Hospital (10), the Motropolitan Medical Center (MMC) Hospital (12), and the Medistra Hospital (2), he said.

The scenes of the two explosions were tightly guarded by a number of policemen. At least nine ambulances and two fire brigade trucks were still on guard at JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels.

Police intelligence and bomb squad personnel were still investigating the cause of the explosions.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel was scheduled to accommodate 90 members of the Manchester United (MU) football club of Britain, who were expected to arrive in Jakarta on Saturday evening (July 18). (min)