Dalih Sembiring & Lisa Siregar
The damaged facade of the Ritz-Carlton hotel. (Photo: Angela Dewan, JG)
'The Walls Shook': Witnesses Describe the Bombings
A woman speaks on her mobile phone near the Ritz Carlton hotel following an explosion in Jakarta on Friday. (Photo: Dimas Ardian, Bloomberg)
Nearly two hours after bombs ripped through the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton luxury hotels, people stood dazed and shaken in front of the buildings, trying to make sense of what had happened.
Ukar is a driver for a tenant at the Sailendra Apartmen building, which connects to the back of the Marriott. He had just parked his employer's vehicle when the bomb went off.
“I was only two floors underneath the restaurant, which exploded really, really loudly. The walls shook like this,” he said, making rapid, left-to-right movements with his arms.
Running outside, he saw others seeking refuge from the explosion.
“We saw someone in a chef's apparel walk unsteadily in our direction, drenched in blood, looking for help,” he recalled.
“This must feel just like the 2003 bombing,” Ukar said with a deep sigh, referring to a previous car bombing at the Marriott.
Meanwhile, at MMC Hospital on Jalan Rasuna Said, Rebecca and four other staff at the hospital information center were busy receiving updates about the injured victims and sharing them with family members, friends and reporters.
“I can't compare which one is worse, the bombing in 2003 or today's, but we are doing our best to treat injured patients and update information,” said Rebecca.
Akbari Masnun waited while his daughter Yurike Martianingrum was being treated.
“I arrived at work at 7.15, and got a phone call from my daughter minutes later. 'Help, my head is bleeding,' she said, crying,” Akbari recalled.
Yurike had been cut hit by flying glass from the shattered windows at the Marriott, which is next to the Panin Bank office where she works. She ran to get a cab, Akbari said, and as she opened the door, the second explosion happened.
Akbari said his daughter is injured but not disabled, and will be staying at the hospital until further notice.
"I'm terribly sad, a lot of innocent people are hurt," he added. "I hope such thing won't ever happen again.”
MMC neurologist Baharudin Ildrem Siregar said most of the patients being treated for bomb-related injuries were doing well.
"Most of the victims at MMC are only lightly wounded and shocked,” Baharudin said. “We have a team to deal with this kind of thing."
