PRESIDENT CALLS SECURITY MINISTER, POLICE, BIN CHIEFS

Jakarta, July 17 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Widodo AS and Chief of the Sate Intelligence Agency (BIN) Syamsir Siregar, following explosions at two hotels in Kuningan area, south Jakarta, Friday.

The three high-ranking officials arrived at the presidential office at 10.45 am local time and they directly proceeded to the president's office to report.

After the meeting, President Yudhoyono was expected to give a press statement on the explosions which killed at least nine people.

The explosions hit Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Hotels in the Mega Kuningan area, central Jakarta, early Friday, killing at least nine people and injuring 41 others, including 16 foreigners being treated at MMC Hospital.

Head of the National Police's Public Relations Division Inspector General Nanang Sukarna said here on Friday 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.

Police intelligence and bomb squad personnel were still investigating the cause of the explosions. The victims have been rushed to among others the MMC and Medistra hospitals in the Kuningan area, the Jakarta Hospital on Jalan Sudirman, and the Pertamina Hospital in south Jakarta,
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel was scheduled to accommodate 90 members of the Manchester United (MU) football club of Britain who were to arrive in Jakarta on Saturday evening (July 18).

The explosions in the two hotels in the Kuningan area were heard twice at around 7.50 am and 7.55 am local time, Friday.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo and National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri visited the scenes of the explosions earlier.

The Marriott Hotel was bombed by terrorists before, namely on August 5, 2003. Some 12 people, including a Dutch national, were killed and 147 others wounded.