Date: 12 October 2002
Location: Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
Type of event: terrorism
Description:
A small homemade bomb exploded in front of a nightclub in Kuta, on the Indonesian island of Bali. A few seconds later, at 11:30 PM, a large bomb in a Jeep-like vehicle exploded in front of another nightclub 30 meters from the first bomb. The explosion severely damaged the nightclub and started a fire, causing gas cylinders inside the building to explode and the collapse of the remaining structure onto survivors. The fire spread to a nearby club and 20 other buildings. A few minutes after these explosions a bomb exploded near the American honorary consulate in Denpasar but caused no injuries. Fatalities were reported as 180 by 12 October, but eventually rose to 202 as additional victims died of injuries. This included 88 Australians (of which 3 were children), 38 Indonesians, 26 Britons, 9 Swedes, 7 Americans, 6 Germans, 4 Dutch, 3 Danes, 3 French, 3 Swiss citizens, 2 Canadians, 2 Japanese, 2 New Zealanders, 2 South Koreans, and 1 each from Brazil, Ecuador, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, and one other country. Another 350 were injured. In the following weeks, Indonesian authorities arrested members of a radical Islamist group, some of whom indicated that they had sought to target American tourists. Several of these individuals went to trial in May 2003.
Consequences: 202 killed, 350 injured
References:
© 2017 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 26 November 2017.
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