A MASSIVE car bomb destroyed a nightclub on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, sparking a devastating inferno that killed at least 187 people, many of them Australians and other foreigners.

　　National Police Chief Gen. Da’i Bachtiar said yesterday that the explosion came from a Kijang, a jeep-like vehicle.

　　He said it was “the worst act of terror in Indonesia’s history.”

　　A second bomb exploded almost simultaneously near the island’s U.S. consular office, authorities said, but there were no casualties. The U.S. Embassy’s recreation club in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, was evacuated yesterday after a bomb threat.

　　There was no claim of responsibility for the blasts, but they came three days after the U.S. Government issued a worldwide alert for terror attacks. The explosions highlighted fears by the United States and others that Indonesia is becoming a haven for terrorists and that al-Qaida operatives are active.

　　President Megawati Sukarnoputri flew to Bali and promised to cooperate with the international community in fighting terrorism.

　　"The bombings, once again, should be a warning for all of us that terrorism constitutes a real danger and potential threat to national security," Megawati said.

　　A security alert was declared across this sprawling country of 13,000 islands.

　　Australian Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday he would launch an urgent review of national security. Australia, a staunch Washington ally, has been on a heightened state of alert since the Sept. 11 attacks.

　　The bomb late Saturday at the Sari Club, a popular nightspot frequented by foreigners, killed Australians, Germans, Canadians, Britons, Swedes and Indonesians.

　　The government's crisis center in Bali said 187 people had died and that 309 were hurt, about 90 of them critically.

　　Bali Police Chief Brig Gen. Budi Setyawan said that most of the victims were Australians.

　　A Taiwan woman was reportedly among the dead. A Hong Kong tourist was slightly injured, China News Service said.

　　In September, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta closed for six days due to terror threats linked to al-Qaida. Other U.S. embassies in the region were also closed. The Philippines disclosed that the U.S. Government feared attacks using truck bombs.

　　Last month, a hand grenade exploded in a car near a house belonging to the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, killing the man suspected of handling it.

　　U.S. Ambassador Ralph Boyce said in a statement that the United States "condemns in the strongest possible terms this despicable act of terror" and offered assistance to Indonesia "to see that those responsible face justice for this cowardly attack."

　　Authorities in Malaysia and Singapore have alleged that members of Jemaah Islamiya - an al-Qaida-linked group seeking to set up an Islamic state in Southeast Asia - are based in Indonesia.

　　Several countries have pressed Indonesia to arrest Jemaah Islamiya's alleged leader, Abu Bakar Bashir. But Indonesia says it has no evidence against Bashir.

　　Australia's Qantas airline scheduled an extra flight to Bali to evacuate Australians. Bali is Indonesia's top tourist destination.

　　(SD-Agencies)