Within seconds of the first explosion in Jakarta, Twitter lit up with first-hand accounts from people on the ground - well before the big media companies could scramble into position.Just like during last year's Mumbai terrorist attacks and, closer to home, the recent bushfires that ravaged Victoria, Twitter has once again proved its worth as a lightning fast way to spread information during disasters and breaking news events.
Bomb blasts hit Ritz-Carlton, Marriott hotels in Jakarta Daniel Tumiwa (http://twitter.com/DanielTumiwa) appeared to be first in the world to report the Jakarta bombings on the Ritz-Cartlon and Marriott hotels."Bom @ marriot and ritz Carlton kuningan jakarta," he wrote."Left location.Shocked. Lots of blood. Breakfast meetings at coffee shops while bombs went off."Before long other Indonesians were uploading photographs and details they had recorded on their mobile phones.Andre Siregar (http://twitter.com/dregar), who was in the Ritz Carlton when the bombs went off, wrote that he "felt building shake twice" and published a photograph of the Ritz Carlton's crushed facade. (http://twitpic.com/alkfa)"Airlangga restaurant explosion. We just had dinner there last night," he wrote.Another user posted a photograph of smoke billowing out of both hotels. (http://twitpic.com/alkfm) smh.com.au
