INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Early this morning local time the JW Marriott Hotel and The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Hotel, both located in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta, Indonesia, were the sites of two separate explosions resulting in at least nine deaths, according to reports.
Marriott International confirmed the bombings around midnight Eastern time yesterday via Twitter: “At approximately 7:48 a.m. local time, explosions occurred at the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia.”
Read Marriott’s official statement released this morning.
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A report from The Wall Street Journal indicates that suicide bombers are suspected in the events that killed nine and injured at least 53 people. The JW Marriott explosion is believed to have occurred in the basement car park, according to police in a BBC story. The Ritz-Carlton bomb went off in a third-floor restaurant. And a third, undetonated bomb in the JW Marriott was found in a 18th-floor guestroom thought to be the bombers' headquarters.
The GM of the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur in neighboring Malaysia told HotelNewsNow.com that for now he didn’t know any more than what media is reporting.
“I haven't spoken to the (Ritz-Carlton Hotel team) in Jakarta recently so all the information I have got (is) from CNN as they have good coverage and have people on the ground in Indonesia,” said Stephen A. Pcokkinias.
“This is a regrettable incident. ... I don’t want to call (the team in Jakarta) as they must be quite busy, but I did text the hotel GM.”
Pierre-Alain Perusset is the managing director of The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Hotel. Nagesh Chawla is the hotel manager at the JW Marriott Hotel.
It’s business as usual, Pcokkinias said. “We have no incidents in Malaysia so we are not taking any (precautionary) measures.”
From the JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur: “We have not heard anything from the hotel in Jakarta, but we are keeping ourselves updated with the most recent news through the various reports on Internet and television,” said Mahmoud Skaf, hotel manager. “… We have not had any people calling regarding the incident in Jakarta."
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The implications, however, for other hotels in Asia-Pacific are significant. A story from Channel NewsAsia said hotels in Singapore are stepping up security. The country also issued a travel advisory. In the story, associate professor Kumar Ramakrishna, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said: “The attacks in Jakarta this morning basically drive home the point that although those two hotels, the Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott, were relatively well-protected... a militant network that’s really determined and resourceful may succeed.”
Reuters posted a photo gallery of the hotel damage and human impact.
The Bali Hotels Association issued a statement in which it said that there appeared to be no imminent threat for the area, although hotels were put on red alert.
Bali is about 1,245 kilometers (about 776 miles) away from Jakarta in Indonesia.
“BHA members have briefed their staff to remain calm and focus on the comfort and safety of their guests, and to avoid speculation and rumour surrounding the incidents,” according to the statement. “BHA are keeping their members informed of developments.
“Following a briefing by the Chief of Police in Bali this morning, he indicated that there is no credible threat in place at the present time for Bali; however all members of the community and tourism industry must remain alert to ensure the safety of visitors to Bali and the community at large.”