Explosion Occurs at Jember Mosque During Tarawih Prayer

A mysterious explosion occurred at a mosque in the Pesona Regency housing complex in Patrang District, Jember Regency, East Java during congregational tarawih prayers on Monday 16 March in the evening.

The explosion resulted in no fatalities, only injuries. The blast caused damage to the mosque’s roof and sparked panic among residents of the housing complex and those performing tarawih prayers.

“The explosion was quite loud and was heard in the neighbouring village,” said mosque custodian Muhammad Fadil on Tuesday 17 March early morning.

According to him, the explosion occurred at approximately 19:30 WIB during tarawih prayers, causing many worshippers to rush out of the mosque.

“One person was taken to the emergency unit at RSUD dr Soebandi hospital as he was suspected of experiencing hearing loss,” he said.

He explained the explosion occurred near the male ablution area and caused damage to the mosque’s ceiling and a bookcase cabinet.

The Head of Investigations at Jember Police Station, AKP Angga Riatma, stated that police 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 stated that police established a perimeter at the mosque and appealed to the public not to approach the area as Jember Police deployed bomb disposal experts.

“We cannot yet conclude the cause of the explosion and are still processing the crime scene,” he said.

Police installed police tape at the mosque location and requested the mosque management to temporarily cease public activities at the mosque for safety reasons.