SRINAGAR: At least 54 people, mostly students, were injured when multiple explosions struck a mosque during Friday prayers at a state high school in Indonesia’s capital, according to Reuters.
The blasts occurred around midday at the mosque of SMA 27, located within a navy compound in the Kelapa Gading area of northern Jakarta. Witnesses told local television outlets they heard at least two loud explosions just as the sermon began, prompting panic as grey smoke filled the mosque and worshippers fled.
Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri, as per CBS News, said most victims sustained injuries ranging from minor cuts to severe wounds caused by shattered glass. Twenty students remain in hospital, three of them in serious condition, while others were discharged after treatment.
Suheri added that the explosions appeared to have originated near the mosque’s loudspeaker. The cause has not yet been determined, though an anti-bomb squad deployed to the scene discovered toy rifles and a toy gun near the blast site.
“Police are still investigating the scene to determine the cause of the explosions,” Suheri said, urging the public to avoid speculation until official findings are released. “Let the authorities work first. We will convey whatever the results are to the public,” he added.
