Explosion Occurs at Jember Mosque During Tarawih Prayer

A mysterious explosion occurred at a mosque in the Pesona Regency residential area of Patrang District, Jember Regency, East Java during Tarawih prayers on Monday evening, 16 March 2026.

The explosion caused no deaths but damaged the mosque’s roof and caused panic amongst worshippers performing Tarawih prayers and residents of the residential area.

“The explosion was quite loud and could be heard in the neighbouring village,” said Mosque Administrator Muhammad Fadil on Tuesday early morning.

According to him, the explosion occurred around 19:30 local time during Tarawih prayers, causing many congregants to rush out of their homes.

“One person was taken to the Emergency Unit at RSUD dr Soebandi Hospital due to suspected hearing loss,” he said.

He explained that the explosion occurred near the male ablution area and caused damage to the mosque’s ceiling and shelving for religious books.

Meanwhile, Jember Police Criminal Investigation Head AKP Angga Riatma said his team immediately went to the location after receiving information from the public.

“Police immediately sterilised the location and conducted an investigation into the cause of the explosion,” he said on Tuesday early morning.

He said his team has established a perimeter around the mosque and urged the public to stay away as the Jember Police have brought in bomb disposal experts.

“We have not yet been able to conclude the cause of the explosion and are still conducting crime scene investigation,” he said.

Police have cordoned off the mosque location and requested the mosque administration to temporarily halt public activities at the facility for security reasons.