East Java Police Chief Directly Monitors Crime Scene of Mosque Explosion in Jember
Jember, East Java — The head of the East Java Regional Police (Kapolda), Inspector General Nanang Avianto, personally monitored the crime scene investigation of an explosion that occurred at a mosque in the Pesona Raya Regency housing estate in Patrang District, Jember Regency, East Java, on Tuesday.
Nanang arrived at the explosion site at approximately 03:00 WIB and, accompanied by Jember Police Chief AKBP Bobby Adimas Condroputra, supervised the area around the mosque as the bomb disposal unit (Jibom) from the East Java Regional Police conducted the crime scene investigation.
No official statement regarding the explosion at the mosque in Pesona Raya Regency housing estate in Patrang District had been issued by Nanang at the time.
Earlier, the head of the criminal investigation unit at Jember Police, AKP Angga Riatma, stated that police immediately sterilised the explosion site by establishing a police cordon and conducting a crime scene investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.
“We cannot yet conclude the cause of the explosion, and the bomb disposal team from the East Java Regional Police is still investigating the mosque located in the Pesona Raya Regency housing estate,” he said.
There were no fatalities in the incident, though one congregant was transported to the emergency unit at dr Soebandi Regional Hospital in Jember after reportedly suffering ear damage following the fairly loud explosion.
The explosion is suspected to have originated from a disused cabinet near the male ablution area of the mosque, though according to eyewitness accounts, an iron sheet was found near the blast location.
Jember Police established a security cordon around the mosque to prevent residents from approaching the site, whilst the East Java Regional Police’s bomb disposal team worked to investigate the cause of the fairly loud explosion.
Mosque activities were temporarily suspended due to concerns about secondary explosions, and the bomb disposal team swept the entire mosque area to ensure safety and complete the crime scene investigation.