Jakarta – Four people, including three teenage girl athletes, died in a powerful explosion at a sports stadium in Indonesia's strife-torn Ambon city, police said yesterday.

A 20-year-old woman injured in the blast on Thursday died in hospital overnight, police spokesman Adjunct Senior Commissioner Max Alfons said from Ambon. The other three victims were girls aged between 12 and 17. Eight other people were also wounded in the explosion at the Merdeka Stadium.

The victims were athletes undergoing training to prepare for the national student games, Alfons said. Police believe the explosion was caused by a home-made bomb.

The Maluku islands, with Ambon the main city, have seen fighting between Muslims and Christians which has left more than 5,000 dead since 1999.