33 Britons believed killed in Bali

Thirty-three Britons are now believed to have been killed in the Bali bombing, the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said today.

Mr Straw said that "we are as certain as we can be" that there were 18 Britons among the dead.He told reporters in London that there were another 15 Britons still missing who were also believed to have been killed in the explosion

Meanhwhile the death toll from the massive car bomb that destroyed a nightclub packed with tourists on the holiday island rose to around 190.

Most of the dead were believed to be people in their teens and 20s, holidaying in an area of Bali famous for its surf beaches and high-spirited nightlife. Some of the victims were burnt beyond recognition.

The bomb, which brought international condemnation, was designed to cause maximum loss of life to Western tourists. It exploded on a Saturday night in one of South-east Asia's most popular holiday destinations, on a busy street outside a nightclub with a policy of admitting only foreigners. "This is for sure the perfect place to do something really bad to the world," said Ian Zurcher, the Austrian and Swiss consul in Bali. "It was perfectly planned."

No one claimed responsibility for the blast, the worst terrorist act since the 11 September attacks, but suspicion fell on an Islamic militant group linked to al-Qa'ida. Western countries have repeatedly urged Indonesia to crack down on extremists believed to be operating within the country.

President George Bush condemned the bomb as "a despicable act" and offered American help to find the perpetrators.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said the attack had been "committed by the most evil and most perverted people". The European Union called it "a barbaric and heinous act of terrorism" and urged the Indonesian authorities to spare no efforts in finding the perpetrators. Britain offered to send forensic science and counter-terrorism specialists to Indonesia.

Most of the victims who filled the hospital morgues and overflowed into corridors were too charred to be immediately identified. But judging by the nationalities of the missing and those confirmed dead, the bomb has claimed victims of many nationalities ­ as in the World Trade Centre attacks.

Germans, Canadians, Swedes, Swiss, South Africans and Indonesians were among the dead. Forty Britons were injured, with 14 still in hospital and 25 others, including three Irish nationals, unaccounted for, the Foreign Office said last night. The dead Briton was named as Marc Gajardo, 30, from Cornwall. The US State Department also confirmed that two Americans had been killed and at least three others were among the wounded.

Bali has a reputation as a paradise island and Australia sends planeloads of tourists there every week. They were believed to be worst hit, with at least 13 dead, more than 100 in hospital and 200 missing. The most seriously wounded were taken to hospitals in Perth and Darwin. John Howard, the Prime Minister, called the attack a "national tragedy".

The car bomb sparked a fireball that gutted neighbouring buildings and was preceded by a smaller blast outside Paddy's Bar across the road, which caused no casualties. One theory had the blaze caused by exploding gas canisters. A third bomb went off near the US consulate in the Balinese capital, Denpasar, although no one was injured.

While the consulate was heavily guarded, the Sari Club was a soft target. Bali always seemed immune from the ethnic and sectarian violence that periodically racked parts of Indonesia. It was Hindu and Buddhist rather than Muslim; people went there to have a good time. Security was non-existent.

The main bomb went off in a Jeep-like vehicle, demolishing the nightclub and causing panic in Kuta Beach, a maze of clubs, restaurants, shops and hotels. Revellers struggled to escape from the Sari Club, trapped by a caved-in roof and burning vehicles outside. Bleeding and badly burnt people staggered around on the street. Body parts were strewn on the pavement.

The explosion ­ the worst terrorist attack on Indonesian soil ­ came three days after the US State Department issued a worldwide terrorism alert. It followed a recent warning by the US embassy in Jakarta of possible attacks within the country.

The group thought most likely to be responsible is Jamaah Islamiya. Several countries have pressed Indonesia to arrest Jamaah Islamiya's alleged leader, Abu Bakar Bashir. But Indonesia says it has no evidence against Mr Bashir, who has sympathisers in the government.

Megawati Sukarnoputri, the Indonesian President, who tour-ed Kuta in tears yesterday, promised to help the international community to fight terrorism.

Among the Britons at the nightclub who survived was Samantha Sandle, who described the aftermath of the blast as a state of "complete and utter devastation and blind panic".

Speaking to BBC 5 Live after returning to England last night, she said she had been in the club with three friends and believes they cheated death because they were in the toilets, at the back of the club, when the blast erupted.

"If we had not all gone to the toilets together, we would not have been alive today," she said. Ms Sandle said the walk back across the club was horrific. "We were passing bodies and limbs and the heat from the fire was phenomenal."

Crowds of people watched silently as rescue workers hauled blackened victims from the wreckage. A team of British volunteers was helping to look after British casualties in hospital. The Foreign Office advised Britons to postpone non-essential trips to Indonesia. Other countries whose nationals were caught in the blasts issued similar warnings.