East Java Police Find Chemicals in Mosque Explosion in Jember
Jember, East Java — The East Java Regional Police (Polda Jawa Timur) has discovered several chemical substances following a crime scene investigation into an explosion that occurred at Masjid Raya Pesona in the Pesona Raya Regency residential area, Patrang Village, Jember Regency, East Java, on Tuesday.
“We need to be thorough and not rush the investigation to ensure accuracy, as there is evidence of chemical substances at the location. The evidence collection process requires special equipment, so it demands thoroughness and precision,” said East Java Police Chief Inspector General Nanang Avianto at a press conference held at Jember Police Station.
According to him, a combined team from the Bomb Disposal Unit (Jibom), Forensic Laboratory Team (Labfor), and General Criminal Investigation (Reskrimum) is working to process the crime scene at the explosion location.
“Although there were no fatalities in this incident, we are investigating to determine the cause of the explosion and proper procedures have been followed,” he said.
He explained that police have secured and sterilised the explosion site to prevent public access by establishing police lines, then conducted crime scene processing involving the combined task force and gathered evidence.
When asked what evidence had been secured, Police Chief Nanang declined to provide specific details as all teams are still working to investigate the cause of the explosion. However, all items found around the explosion site have been treated as evidence.
“We have also questioned several witnesses around the location who witnessed the explosion. Coordination with relevant agencies, including the neighbourhood heads, has been conducted,” he said.
He noted that scientific analysis will determine the cause of the explosion after further investigation, and police have also secured CCTV recordings from around the mosque to provide clues to investigators.
“The liquid in a jerrycan is still under investigation, and initial indications suggest the explosion originated from an iron cabinet. We cannot yet say when the crime scene processing results will be released, but East Java Police are working as quickly as possible,” he said.
A mysterious explosion occurred at a mosque in the Pesona Raya Regency residential area in Patrang Village, Jember Regency during evening prayers (tarawih) on Monday night (16 March) at around 20:00 Western Indonesian Time.
The explosion caused one mosque worshipper to be taken to the emergency department at Dr Soebandi Hospital in Jember due to hearing loss from the blast, and several structures in the mosque were damaged, including the ceiling, roof and cabinet.