| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Australians saw bomb thrown under their table |
| 2005-10-02 |
| AUSTRALIAN witnesses believe one of the Bali terrorists threw a bomb under their table a split second before a deadly blast ripped through the beachside restaurant where they were dining. "A bomb went off right under our table," said Joe Frost, 20, of Newcastle, who had been out with about 17 friends from his home city when bombs rocked two cafes at Bali's popular Jimbaran beach. "Someone ran past and threw it under there. "The next thing I know I'm thrown to the ground. It's all black and I can't hear anything. "I ran into the ocean because I figured that was the safest place." Mr Frost told AAP that he was dining at the open-air Nyoman Cafe when a bomb went off at the nearby Menega Cafe. The group jumped to their feet with the sound of the first blast. "We all stood up and looked around and we were hoping it was a gas explosion," he said. Suddenly, another blast went off around them. Mr Frost said he did not see the bomb thrower, but said two of his friends did. About the same time, a third bomb exploded in Raja's Bar and Restaurant in the heart of the Kuta shopping precinct nearby. Some of the Newcastle group were among the dead and wounded. Joe's father Adam Frost, is a doctor who is volunteering at Bali's main Sanglah hospital, where many of the wounded are being treated – some for horrific shrapnel wounds. The doctor said an entire ward of the intensive care unit was taken up by members of the Newcastle group. "There's ten of us in that ward, one has been evacuated and another three have died," Dr Frost, who was not with the group at the restaurant, said. Survivors of the group were coming to grips with the tragedy today. Julia Lederwasch, 49, and daughter Aleta, 21, suffered shrapnel wounds in the attack. Dietmar Lederwasch, whose ears were still ringing from the blast today, told of a terrifying four hours when he could not find his daughter. When the bomb went off, Aleta screamed and ran off, he said. "I stood at the head of the table and had a panoramic view of the situation," he said. "There was a sea of people running and then it went all black. "I couldn't find her for four hours." Mr Lederwasch said it was an emotional reunion when he visited his wife and daughter in hospital this morning. "We just burst into tears and hugged each other," he said. He said it was a miracle that others from Newcastle who were in Bali were not at the Jimbaran restaurant last night. At least eight families, totalling 40 to 50 people, including two dozen children, had travelled together to holiday in Bali, he said. However, only about half of the group went for the seafood barbecue. It was an absolute miracle that the kids decided to stay at the hotel because they were too tired to go out, Mr Lederwasch said. "I didn't know the extent of it until I got here (the Sanglah hospital) today. I thought our table had been okay," he said. He said his daughter had been worried about security during the trip. Another Newcastle family had pulled out of the holiday because of continued warnings from the Indonesian and Australian governments that a terrorist attack was imminent in Indonesia, Joe Frost said. Members of the Newcastle group well enough to leave Bali would do so as soon as possible, he said. |
| Posted by:God Save The World |
| #9 Thanks. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-10-02 18:28 |
| #8 The majority of Balinese are Hindu's. Bali has been a Hindu enclave surrounded by Muslim islands for 500 years, ever since the collapse of the Hindu Majapahit kingdom that ruled much of what is today Indonesia. In recent years, however, Muslims from other parts of Indonesia have been moving to Bali as labourers, government employees and small traders, attracted by the wealth generated by the island's tourism. The reason why Australians continue to travel to Bali is because many here have developed a 'connection' with the Balinese people & now vow not to be intimidated by terrorists. There was an article on a news site this morning about how only 1/5 of Australians have cancelled their flights to Bali. Link |
| Posted by: Oztralian [AKA] God Save The World 2005-10-02 18:04 |
| #7 Why do people from Oz still go to Indonesia,.. They are probably asking themselves that question right now, along with a large number of other individuals from other places. Not a good development for the Indos. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-10-02 15:30 |
| #6 Yugonesia? :) |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-02 12:44 |
| #5 Time for Bali to leave Indonesia, That would be sensible! |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-10-02 12:39 |
| #4 Time for Bali to leave Indonesia, |
| Posted by: ed 2005-10-02 11:44 |
| #3 AOL has a video of one of the bombs going off - in a restaurant. I have no idea whether it's this restaurant or not. The Indonesians are calling all three bombs 'suicide' bombers, so if the Ozzy is right (and I'd believe them over the Indonesian government any time) then there's something not right. |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2005-10-02 11:35 |
| #2 "I ran into the ocean because I figured that was the safest place." Australia, England on quality steroids. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-10-02 10:09 |
| #1 Why do people from Oz still go to Indonesia, or any other Muzzy country? |
| Posted by: Thagum Throng6017 2005-10-02 08:52 |