Blast at five-star hotel in Jakarta kills four

At least four people were feared dead today after a huge explosion tore through the Marriott Hotel in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

“I saw four badly burned bodies on the street,” a local radio reporter said at the scene in the city’s business district.

Cars were were burning outside the five star hotel and thick black smoke poured from the front of the 33-storey building.

It was not immediately clear whether the blast was the result of a bomb.

Since last October’s nightclub bombings in Bali, which killed 202 people, local and international authorities have warned that more terror attacks were likely in South-east Asia.

The Jakarta Marriott – which opened in September 2001 – was popular with foreign visitors because of its proximity to many embassies and the offices of multinational companies.

The plate glass windows in the hotel lobby were shattered, but it was not immediately clear how much damage had been done to the building.

“I heard a big bang and I tried to get out of the building as quickly as possible,” said Asroni, a member of the hotel staff, as he picked shards of glass from his uniform. “The smoke was getting into my lungs.”

Jakarta has been hit by a number of bombings in recent years as the Indonesia government grapples with security problems and political turmoil.

Today’s blast came two days before a court in Bali was due to give its verdict in the trial of Amrozi bin Nurhashym, who is accused of planning and carrying out the October 12 Bali nightclub attacks.

He is the first of about three dozen suspects to face trial in the case, and could be executed if he is convicted.

He and other defendants are allegedly members of the regional Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, which is believed to have links to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terrorist network.