Australia grieves for death of its 'carefree' young

The mourners wore flip-flops and floral shirts, but their grief was no less acute for the lack of dark suits. As the sun went down, they wept and clung to each other, remembering loved ones who perished so brutally last weekend.

A memorial service was held in Bali last night for the car bomb's Australian victims, who account for a large proportion of dead. The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, who flew to Bali for the service, said the tragedy had "shocked our nation to the core". He vowed no effort would be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Thirty Australians are confirmed dead and 89 are missing after the bomb destroyed two nightclubs in Kuta, the island's busiest tourism area. The total death toll stands at 183 but forensic experts said they were still removing remains from the ruins of the Sari Club and Paddy's Irish Bar, opposite each other on the main street.

Australian federal police, who are helping lead the investigation, said it could be months before the difficult process of identifying badly burnt bodies was completed. Julian Slater, the investigation co-ordinator, said some bodies might never be identified. "This was on a magnitude that is unprecedented for Australia and is rare in the world," he said.

Mr Howard told mourners at the memorial service, which was held outside the Australian consulate-general, that all Australians were "trying, however, inadequately, to feel for you and to support you at this time of unbearable grief and pain".

He said there was "a sense of bewilderment and disbelief that so many young lives with so much before them should be taken away in blind fury, hatred and violence".

Outside the consulate-general, the Australian and Indonesian flags flew at half-mast over a collection of floral wreaths left by Balinese that had been steadily growing all week. More than 100 people attended the open-air service, which was presided over by military chaplains from all three forces.

Rows of chairs had been set up in the street and a large wooden cross placed in freshly-turned earth on the pavement. Dazed-looking friends and relatives of the dead queued to leave candles at the foot of the cross, which had photographs of bomb victims – some pictured smiling on holiday – tacked to it.

As a military choir sang "Let There Be Peace on Earth", Mr Howard embraced the bereaved and offered private words of comfort. Two chaplains hugged each other, visibly upset, and the Australian consul, Ross Tysoe, broke down in tears. Armed Indonesian police hovered at the fringes of the service, and Australian security men stood at the front.

Mr Howard, who was accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, and the Opposition leader, Simon Crean, said the bombing would scar people for the rest of their lives. "Our nation has been changed by this event," he said. "Perhaps we may not be so carefree as we have been in the past. But we will never lose our openness and sense of adventure. The young of Australia will always travel, they will always seek fun in distant parts, they will always reach out to the young in other nations, they will always be open, fun-loving, decent young men and women."

Police in Bali said they were focusing the investigation on eight suspects – seven Indonesians and a foreigner – who were being questioned. In Jakarta, President Megawati Sukarnoputri won crucial parliamentary backing for an emergency anti-terrorism decree.