Blasts at Indonesia school mosque injure more than 50 / Photo: CANDRA - AFP
-
Sabalenka sets up Wimbledon third-round clash with Ostapenko
-
Stocks drop with eyes on US Fed
-
Planned 1.7 million satellites 'devastating' for astronomy: study
-
Barca have bid for Atletico's Alvarez: president Laporta
-
Trump defends earning more than $1bn on crypto
-
'Smart' and 'very rational'? Iran's new leaders post-Ali Khamenei
-
Sciver-Brunt fit for England's T20 World Cup semi-final
-
Bordeaux-Begles handed favourable draw in Champions Cup defence
-
Key challenges for Laporta in second Barca term
-
'Thought they'd never be caught': The strike that killed Iran's Khamenei
-
Canada to join Eurovision Song Contest
-
Djokovic, Sinner hope for easier ride after Wimbledon scares
-
Swedish court orders Google pay $1.46 bn for favouring its price comparisons
-
Injured Serena's Wimbledon doubles bid with sister Venus in doubt
-
German FA headquarters searched in Euro 2024 graft probe
-
European stocks mostly drop with eyes on US Fed
-
Village People singer Victor Willis dies at 74
-
Genesio replaces Beye as Marseille boss
-
Thousands rush to get tickets for Bayeux Tapestry's UK show
-
Catholic society defies Vatican again by ordaining new bishops
-
Chinese firm sells hyper-real, 'always loyal' humanoid robots
-
Breakaway Catholic society defies Vatican again by ordaining bishops
-
World's oceans break June heat record: EU monitor
-
Venezuelans search, suffer one week after deadly quakes
-
China imposes 'national security' rules on overseas investments
-
Asian stocks mostly up as traders eye crucial US jobs data
-
'Nothing left except death': Myanmar families grieve huge war toll
-
Ronaldo and Modric struggle to defy Father Time at World Cup
-
England face DR Congo hurdle, USA prepare for World Cup moment in spotlight
-
The secret lives of Ukraine's deep-strike drone team
-
Myanmar mourns as post-coup conflict death toll hits 100,000
-
NATO project tests perennial grass to clean Ukraine's war-hit soil
-
Vietnam unveils 'baby bonus' after scrapping two-child policy
-
Duffy returns for New Zealand against West Indies
-
Majestic Olise raises France to another level at World Cup
-
Mbappe dazzles as France march on at World Cup; Norway, Mexico advance
-
Mexico see off Ecuador to break 40-year World Cup curse
-
US govt lifts restrictions on powerful AI models, Anthropic says
-
'My dream is broken': Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
-
Trump earned over $1 bn from crypto ventures in 2025
-
Indian sailors fear returning to Gulf after Middle East war
-
The Afghan women farmers keeping their village alive
-
Fear and anger brew inside Meta amid AI frenzy
-
Asian stocks fluctuate as traders eye crucial US jobs data
-
After 250 years, the 'American dream' is tarnished but alive
-
Madison Square Garden: from Nazis to Knicks, and now... Taylor's wedding?
-
'I'm going to stay calm': 48 hours under the rubble in Venezuela
-
'Love it': Wimbledon's military stewards tradition turns 80
-
Breakaway Catholic sect defies Vatican again by ordaining bishops
-
Venezuela quake survivors cherish kindness of strangers
Blasts at Indonesia school mosque injure more than 50
Two blasts at a school mosque in the Indonesian capital Jakarta injured at least 50 people on Friday, authorities said, with a student accused of being responsible for the incident.
The explosions took place at a North Jakarta high school around 12:15 pm (0515 GMT), 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.
Around 54 people were injured, 33 of whom were "still receiving medical treatment", Jakarta police spokesman Budi Hermanto said.
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 to not rush to judgement.
"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.
Investigators including bomb squad technicians were processing the scene on the school campus, and an AFP journalist saw plastic evidence bags on prayer rugs.
Kinza Ghaisan Rayyan, a 17-year-old student, told AFP there was confusion over what happened.
"At first we thought it came from some electronic equipment, maybe the sound system...but it turned out the explosion came from under the prayer mat," he said at a Jakarta hospital.
Jakarta police chief Asep Edi Suheri said authorities had set up posts in two hospitals to assist relatives in finding their loved ones.
Ferdi Ibrahim, the brother of a student, said he "panicked right away" on learning about the blasts.
"Finally, I got a call from my sibling's teacher, they were already in the hospital's emergency room," the 30-year-old said.
R.AbuNasser--SF-PST
