THIRTY-THREE Britons were today feared to have been among the almost 200 people killed when two bomb blasts ripped through a crowded tourist resort on the Indonesian island of Bali.
The Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that 18 are confirmed dead and 15 are still missing, feared dead.
Experts believe that the explosions on a busy street of nightclubs and bars in the Kuta Beach area was the latest anti-western outrage by terrorists linked to Osama bin Laden.
However, British officials insisted it was too early to tell who was responsible.
The Metropolitan Police said a team of officers from its anti-terrorist branch were travelling to Singapore.
They will be on standby to offer assistance to the Indonesian authorities investigating the incident.
Paul Lawrenson, from Wiltshire, was on a diving holiday in Bali when he was caught up in the blast when he stopped for a drink at the club. He suffered a badly damaged arm and legs.
The British Consulate in Bali has issued an emergency number for the relatives of missing or injured Britons to call: 0062361270570.
DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS OR RELATIVES WHO MAY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT UP IN THE BALI BOMB BLAST? CALL OUR NEWSDESK ON 023 8042 4522 OR E-MAIL: newsdesk@soton-echo.co.uk
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