Three foreigners missing in Indonesia

An American who was reported missing in Indonesia has turned up safe, an embassy official said today, but details were not immediately available about an Italian, Japanese and Singaporean believed to be with him.

The Indonesian government said earlier that the four lost contact with family members yesterday after opening an English-language school in Surabaya, a major city on the densely populated island of Java.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kristiarto Legowo said: “Police do not know yet if they were kidnapped, are missing or on the road,”.

Foreign embassies were trying to determine their whereabouts today.

US embassy spokeswoman Susan Stahl said contact had been made with the American and there were no longer concerns for his safety.

Officials from the three other nations were either not available or unable to comment.

In Japan, chief cabinet secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency, that “I would refrain from making comments because of a lack of details and out of consideration that it could also affect human lives.”

Indonesia has been hit by a string of terrorist attacks in recent years and there has long been speculation that Islamic militants who have been crippled by arrests could turn from suicide bombings to kidnappings and assassinations.

The local news website Detik reported, however, that the foreigners apparently entered the country illegally and had been arrested by immigration officials in Surabaya.