British govt opens helpline for Bali bombings

The British Foreign Office set up a helpline on Saturday for Britons concerned about relatives after at least 25 people were killed in series of bombings in Bali.

Many others were injured in at least three blasts on the Indonesian island. A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said one Briton had been treated for minor injuries. The British ambassador to Jakarta and a Hong Kong-based emergency team with staff from London are also said to be on their way to Bali, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported.

The blasts took place just before 2000 local time (1200 GMT) when two blasts went off at a seaside area packed with restaurants and another took place in an area popular with Western tourists.

The spokeswoman confirmed that some British members with a Rugby team which had been in the area were safe, as was a large volunteer organization with British staff.

Twenty-eight Britons were among the 202 people killed in the Oct. 12, 2002 bomb attacks in Kuta, which had been blamed on Islamic extremists.

The Foreign Office warns on its website that "We continue to receive reports that terrorists in Indonesia are planning further attacks on Westerners and Western interests." It adds that Indonesian police are on high alert in the capital, Jakarta. Enditem, Xinhua reported.