Jakarta mosque blast injures 54, mostly students; police launch probe
The explosion occurred during Friday prayers at a North Jakarta school complex mosque; authorities find a body vest and bomb-making material at the scene
As many as 54 people were injured during Friday (November 7) prayers following an explosion at a mosque in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.
The blast occurred at a mosque located within a school complex, according to a Reuters report.
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Witnesses said they heard two loud explosions around midday, just as the sermon was beginning, Al Jazeera reported.
Police launch investigation
Speaking at a televised press conference soon after the incident, Jakarta city police chief Asep Edi Suheri said police were investigating the cause of the explosion at the site in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.
“The initial data we have received indicates that there are approximately 54 individuals affected. Some have minor injuries, some moderate, and some have already been discharged,” Suheri told reporters.
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He said 54 people, mostly students, had been taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from minor to serious, including burns. Twenty people remain under treatment, with three in serious condition, he added.
An anti-bomb squad deployed at the scene discovered toy rifles and a toy gun near the mosque, according to Al Jazeera.
Preliminary probe hints at terror links
Preliminary investigation revealed that several items, including a body vest, firearms, and bomb-making material, were found at the blast site, indicating potential links to terrorist activity, according to media reports.
As authorities worked to determine the cause of the explosion, police cordoned off the area and “were processing the crime scene”, the city police chief said.
Most of the victims sustained injuries caused by glass shards due to the explosion. The exact cause of the blasts has not yet been confirmed, though they are believed to have originated near the mosque’s loudspeakers, according to Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri, as reported by AP.
Help desks set up for victims
“Police are still investigating the scene to determine the cause of the blasts,” Suheri said, urging the public not to speculate until the investigation is complete. “Let the authorities work first,” he added. “We will convey whatever the results are to the public.”
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Help desks were reportedly established at two hospitals, Cempaka Putih Islamic Hospital Jakarta and Yarsi Hospital, to assist relatives in locating injured victims. “We are still investigating, as this incident has only just occurred,” Asep said, as quoted by AFP.