Chilling video of Bali bomber

2005-10-02 17:48

Jakarta - Police are reviewing chilling video footage of a suspected suicide bomber who was captured walking through a bustling Bali cafe moments before a deadly blast.

The Associated Press Television News footage shows a man in a black T-shirt calmly entering a three-storey noodle and steak restaurant in downtown Kuta - the tropical island's popular tourist centre.

The Raja Cafe was packed with local and foreign tourists at candle-lit tables, talking and sipping drinks when the suspect entered.

He disappears from screen just seconds before the blast.

The terrified screams of the tourists can be heard as the bomb explodes.

The video, taken by a tourist, shows a bright flash with a loud bang and gusts of black smoke filling the frame.

The camera operator flees into the street, where panicked tourists in tank-tops and shorts mill around in confusion.

Kuta is hugely popular with foreign tourists, lured by its bustling nightlife, wide variety of restaurants, and shopping strip.

The bombing was one of three near-simultaneous blasts by suicide bombers wearing explosive vests on Bali island on Saturday night, killing at least 26 people and wounding more than 100.

The bombers also struck two seafood restaurants in the popular and crowded Jimbaran beach resort.

Police are using the footage as part of their investigations as they scour for clues.

- AP