Jakarta: Scores of people were injured in a massive blast at a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, during prayers on Friday. The mosque is located inside a school at the Navy complex, it has been reported.
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.
According to him, the number of people admitted to hospitals was 54. The injuries range from minor to serious and include burns. Authorities have set up posts in two hospitals to assist relatives in finding injured victims, Suheri said.
Local news site Antara reported that the National Police’s Special Detachment (Densus 88) anti-terror unit was investigating whether there were any elements of terrorism in the explosion.
News channels KompasTV and MetroTV showed footage of a police line around the school with ambulances standing by. Images of the mosque showed no extensive damage.
Reuters has reported that items like an assault rifle with the message “Welcome to Hell” written to it, a pistol and a military-style webbing have been seized from the spot. Other items include something that resembles an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
According to sources, the man who caused the explosion may be among the injured. It could have been a terror attack that went wrong.