A 'hell of a day' for New Zealand helpers in Bali

By HELEN TUNNAH

New Zealanders living in Bali have rallied to comfort the hundreds of Kuta bomb blast victims, visiting hospitals to sit with the wounded until they can be evacuated.

Brian Thorrington, of Takapuna, said it was a traumatic experience trying to find friends and loved ones scattered throughout the many Bali hospitals and medical centres.

"You just see nightmare scenes everywhere we go into.

"It's a hell of a day for any Kiwis that are here, and for the next few days as well."

Mr Thorrington, a businessman who spends much of his time in Bali, spent Sunday searching for four Australians missing from villas he helps to run, and yesterday looked for missing New Zealanders.

His guests were found, but one woman has severe shrapnel injuries and burns to 80 per cent of her body and only a slim chance of survival.

The other three were seriously injured.

They had stopped for one quick beer at the Sari Club when the car bomb exploded. A 21-year-old man, who had tagged along, was killed.

Mr Thorrington said many expatriate New Zealanders and Australians were at the hospitals just to hold victims' hands and try to contact their families.

The number and seriousness of the injuries exceeded the capabilities of Bali's medical facilities, he said.

Australian military staff and doctors got involved and saved the day for the Australians and New Zealanders.

"The facilities here, it's well known, are not the best. One of the strangest things was there was no control ... We had 10,000 people at the hospital ... You could just wander in and look at somebody who had just burned to death."

Mr Thorrington said the hospitals had almost no burn cream and insufficient bandages and scalpels. The plasma initially used was untested for hepatitis or HIV. The Australian military brought in fresh plasma.

"They were super-efficient, absolutely incredible. You watched in awe."

Bali messages

New Zealand travellers in Bali, and their families in New Zealand, can post messages on our Bali Messages page.

Foreign Affairs advice to New Zealanders

* Travellers should defer travel to Bali

* NZers in Bali should keep a low profile and remain calm

* Foreign Affairs Hotline: 0800 432 111

Feature: Bali bomb blast

Pictures from the scene of the blast

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