A huge car bomb ripped throughtwo bars packed with foreign tourists on the Indonesian resortisland of Bali, killing at least 182 people in an attack blamed onterrorists.
The explosion late yesterday destroyed the bars in the touristdistrict of Kuta and triggered an intense blaze which burned forhours as rescuers struggled to ferry hundreds of injured people tohospital.
Traumatised foreign tourists - many covered in blood or withhorrific burns - stumbled around the scene looking for loved onesor fled hotel rooms for the safety of the beaches.
Most victims were foreigners including many Australians.Volunteers at the hospital where the victims were taken said thedead and injured also included Swiss, Germans, Swedes, Americans,Britons and Italians.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard led condemnation of the"barbaric" attack and dispatched medical teams to help overstretchedhospitals on Bali.
Indonesian military officials said the explosion was the worstterrorist attack in the country's history, while Australian ForeignMinister Alexander Downer pointed the finger of suspicion at theal-Qaeda network.
The attack comes just weeks after the United States reopened itsdiplomatic missions in Indonesia following a shutdown over theSeptember 11th anniversary caused by fears of new attacks byal-Qaeda.
It also follows a wave of al-Qaeda linked attacks over the pastweek - on US soldiers in Kuwait and a French oil tanker in Yemen -which in turn followed new broadcast threats attributed to al-Qaedaleaders.
Shortly after the blast at 11 p.m. (local time) outsidethe popular Sari Club a second bomb exploded near the honorary USconsulate on Bali, without causing casualties.
Another blast about the same time rocked the Philippineconsulate in Manado in Central Sulawesi province, but it caused nocasualties or major damage.
There have been no claims of responsibility.