Death toll rises after Jakarta explosion

Dozens were hurt in the explosion

The death toll from a car bomb explosion at the Jakarta Stock Exchange has risen to at least 13 people according to police.

It sounded like a huge boom. Everybody... ran to escape

Office worker

The blast in the underground car park triggered a massive fire which set off a chain of explosions as dozens of cars were set ablaze.

A police spokesman told the Reuters news agency they were holding five people for questioning over the attack but gave no details.

The blast comes on the eve of the resumption of former President Suharto's corruption trial, which some had feared could trigger violence from his supporters.

The injured were taken to Pertamina hospital

The victims were brought up one-by-one from the smoke-filled basement of the 36-storey building by rescue workers.

Police said dozens were injured in the bomb attack, which happened at 1530 (0830 GMT) - half an hour before the close of trading.

They also fear that others may be still trapped inside the basement.

Chaos

The blast caused chaos in Jakarta's central business district, bringing traffic to a standstill in parts and filling the area with thick, acrid smoke.

Trading was suspended immediately and more than 1,000 workers were evacuated from the building which also houses the World Bank and other financial institutions.

Dozens of firefighters doused the underground flames as smoke billowed from the basement.

One man who was inside the building at the time of blast said: "I was up on the 20th floor... it sounded like a huge boom. Everybody on that floor ran to escape, fortunately no-one got trampled."

Suharto

There have been a series of bomb explosions in Jakarta in recent months.

The Philippines ambassador was injured in a blast in August

In August, an explosion at the house of the Philippines ambassador in Jakarta killed two people and wounded 20 others, including the ambassador Leonides Caday.

And in July, a bomb exploded at the offices of the attorney-general in Jakarta.

The blast occurred in a building where former President Suharto's youngest son, Tommy, had just been questioned by investigators looking into allegations of corruption involving the family.

The attorney general described that blast as a terror tactic aimed at disrupting the high-profile corruption cases being investigated by his officials.