Bomb blast victim a 'father' to Indonesians: Son

The son of Tim Mackay, the New Zealander killed in Friday's Jakarta bomb blasts, has spoken of spending time with his father in Indonesia, meeting the people "he was dedicated to".

Travis Mackay said last night that he visited his father in Jakarta about a month ago.

"I went to be with him - going around with him at work, seeing the people he helped and worked with every day.

"They all thought of him as a father - he just did so much for them and they loved him for it."

His father had set up charities to help struggling Indonesians.

Tim Mackay, 62, was one of eight people killed and 52 wounded in explosions set off by suspected suicide bombers at the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels.

He was president director of the Swiss-owned Holcim Indonesia cement company and was at the Marriott for a business meeting.

Australian trade official Craig Senger also died in the Marriott blast, and reports last night said another unidentified Australia was also feared dead.

In New Zealand, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully urged anyone concerned about family members to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Prime Minister John Key expressed his sorrow at what appeared to be a "deliberate act designed to kill and wound innocent people".

Matthew Webster, an Aucklander on a business trip, was packing his bags in his room on the tenth floor of the Marriott when he heard "an enormous explosion" and felt a shockwave come through the floor.

Looking out the window, he saw a white and blue cloud of smoke coming from the ground floor, and as it cleared, he could see a man lying unconscious in the street.

"Seconds later you could see people running out of the hotel," he said.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but terrorism analyst Rohan Gunaratna said the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah organisation was the most likely suspect.

"The only group with the intention and capability to mount attacks upon Western targets is Jemaah Islamiyah," he said.

The Marriott was hit first, followed by the Ritz two minutes later.

The chairman of Indonesia's parliamentary security commission, Theo Sambuaga, said "there are indications of suicide bombs" at the two hotels.

Local MetroTV reported that investigators suspect the attackers may have been hotel guests who smuggled explosives past security checks.

An unexploded bomb was found on the 18th floor of the Marriott after the blasts and removed by an explosives disposal team, said an investigator who declined to be named.

Britain's Manchester United football team were to have stayed at the Ritz tonight and tomorrow night during a visit to play a friendly match against the Indonesian All Stars.

But yesterday, the team called off the Indonesian leg of their Far East tour.

Travis Mackay, 29, said he and his sister Kristy, 30, had been lucky to have a father who was dedicated to his work - which had ultimately taken them around the world.

Mr Mackay was last night in Wellington comforting his mother, Frances, who is Tim Mackay's former wife but remained close to him.

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: Edward Gay and Agencies