Elderly Man in Jember Dies After Pharmacy Canopy Collapses During 'Sound Horeg' Parade

An elderly man, identified by the initials S (57), has passed away after being struck by a pharmacy canopy while waiting for his wife to purchase medication. Authorities are investigating whether the collapse was triggered by the vibrations from ‘sound horeng’ sound system trucks participating in a nearby carnival.

The incident occurred during a carnival and ‘sound horeg’ parade organised by the Wringinagung Village authorities in Jember on Saturday (29/8) at approximately 10:30 WIB. An eyewitness at the scene, Ulum, stated that the victim was standing in the pharmacy area waiting for his wife when the structure suddenly gave way.

Suddenly, the building’s wall and the pharmacy canopy collapsed, directly striking the victim. “The victim was waiting for his wife to buy medicine. Moments later, there was a loud noise and the victim had fallen, crushed by the wall. He died at the scene,” Ulum reported.

The sudden, loud impact of the collapsing structure startled local residents and carnival participants. Residents and nearby officials immediately rushed to the scene to carry out evacuation efforts.

The Chief of Jombang Police, Iptu Imam Kusuma, confirmed that the report was received around 10:30 WIB. He clarified that the victim was struck by the canopy rather than the pharmacy wall.

“The victim died due to being hit by the falling canopy. It is true that an incident occurred involving the canopy, but it is still under investigation by officers,” said Iptu Imam Kusuma.

The victim’s body has been returned to his family. Police are looking into whether the collapse was linked to the vibrations caused by the ‘sound horeg’ carnival.

“The victim’s body has been handed over to the family and buried,” added Iptu Imam. “There is a suspicion that a cable may have been severed. We are investigating whether it might have been snagged by a truck participating in the carnival activities. We will conduct further investigations once the criminal investigation team from the Jombang Police Sub-district has completed the crime scene processing.”