Witness Reveals Moments of Explosion During Tarawih Prayer at Jember Mosque

An explosion occurred at Masjid Raya Pesona in Kelurahan Patrang, Jember, on Tuesday evening. Kholis, a witness and muezzin at the mosque, revealed details of the explosion that took place during Tarawih prayers.

“The incident occurred precisely during the first rakaat at the seventh recitation. The imam continued the prayer, so we worshippers also persevered until it was completed,” said Kholis, as reported by detikJatim on Wednesday (18 March 2026).

He explained that when the imam continued the prayer, some of the congregation inside the mosque followed the movements. However, they briefly turned to locate the source of the sound.

“The explosion originated from outside the northern area of the mosque, specifically near the storage area for prayer mats and mineral water bottles in front of the bathroom,” he said.

“The congregation members closest to the blast were approximately two to three metres away from the explosion point, but thankfully no one was directly at the location,” he added.

Kholis explained that the explosion caused the mosque’s ventilation wall to develop a hole with a diameter of approximately one metre and damaged the ceiling and surrounding installations. He noted that congregation members outside the mosque scattered in panic, whilst a small number inside completed their prayer until the final salutation.

“Only about six people plus the imam continued the prayer. Most others chose to leave to check the situation,” he explained.