Two blasts at a school mosque in the Indonesian capital Jakarta injured at least 50 people on Friday (Nov 7), authorities said, with a student accused of being responsible for the incident.
The explosions took place at a North Jakarta high school around 12.15pm local time, sparking panic among the students.
“It immediately turned chaotic at the school; everyone ran outside to the field,” 16-year-old Muhammad Rizky Muzaffar told AFP.
“Many of the students were injured, and a lot of them were taken straight to the hospital,” he said, adding that the blast took place just before Friday prayers started at the school mosque.
Police are investigating the cause of the explosion at the site in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, city police chief Asep Edi Suheri told a televised press conference earlier in the day. The site is on largely navy-owned land, and is home to many military personnel and retired officers.
A total of 55 people were admitted to hospitals, 33 of whom were “still receiving medical treatment”, Jakarta police spokesman Budi Hermanto said.
Asep said authorities had also set up posts in two hospitals to assist relatives in finding injured victims.
National police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the suspect was a student who was injured and undergoing surgery.
“Regarding the motive, we are currently investigating various kinds of information,” Listyo said at a news conference.
Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus, deputy coordinating minister of politics and security, urged the public not to rush to judgment.
“Don’t jump to the conclusion that this is a terrorist act,” Lodewijk was quoted as saying by the Antara state news agency, saying a probe was underway.
He said the explosions took place at the back of the mosque on the school campus and near its door.
‘TWO LOUD EXPLOSIONS’
Witnesses told local television stations that they heard at least two loud blasts around midday, just as the sermon had started at the mosque at SMA 72, a state high school.
Antara also quoted the deputy chief security minister Lodewijk Freidrich as saying there were two explosions at the mosque.
Students and others ran out in panic as grey smoke filled the mosque.
“We were so surprised by the sound, it was massive. Our hearts were beating fast, we couldn’t breathe, and we ran outside,” said Luciana, 43, who was working at the school canteen at the time. She described multiple blasts, broken windows and panic as dozens fled the complex.
“I thought it was an electrical wiring problem, or the sound system exploded, but we didn’t know exactly what it was because we ran out just as a white smoke billowed from the mosque.”
Earlier, the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency said that the explosion originated from a speaker at the school.
Sulikha Sutiii, 73, a food stall owner who operates a business about 50m from the school, told CNA: “I heard two loud explosion-like bomb sounds. But I thought perhaps those were trucks which collided with one another.”
She added that the authorities started to arrive at the school about 10 minutes after the explosions.
When CNA arrived at the scene at about 5.30pm local time, about 100 people – including members of the public and media – were seen gathering in front of the school, which had its gates shut.
Some soldiers were seen leaving and entering the school compound. According to CNN Indonesia, Deputy Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus said that a photo of a purported weapon, circulating on social media, is “just a toy”.
“There was a picture of it, but it turned out to be a toy gun, not a real gun, after we checked it was a toy gun,” he was quoted as saying by the media outlet.
Police found a “toy weapon” at the scene with some inscriptions on it, Indonesia’s presidential palace said, without elaborating
Asep the city police chief had urged against speculation before the police investigation is completed.
“Police are still investigating the scene to determine the cause of the blasts,” he said.
“Let the authorities work first. We will convey whatever the results are to the public.”
SCENES AT HOSPITALS
Victims of the blasts were mostly sent to two hospitals in Central Jakarta – Cempaka Putih Islamic Hospital and Yarsi Hospital.
When CNA arrived at Cempaka Putih Islamic Hospital at around 7.30pm local time, dozens of journalists were gathered outside the hospital’s emergency unit where about 30 victims were being treated.
The unit was closed for the public. A police information post has been set up in front of the hospital where several police officers were stationed.
It was a similar scene at Yarsi Hospital, where 10 victims were receiving treatment.
