Jakarta – Two people have been killed in a blast believed to stem from a grenade detonating inside a car owned by a member of the Bener Meriah Legislative Council in Aceh on Saturday.
The incident took place at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, while the car, belonging to Mansyur Ismail, was passing through the village of Alur Punti in Pintu Rime Gayo subdistrict, Bener Meriah regency.
A five-year-old child named Nana Kibi died in the explosion, while the driver, Aulia Fahmi, succumbed to his wounds in hospital on Sunday. Another five passengers sustained injuries in the blast and were admitted to the hospital.
Bener Meriah Police chief Adj. Sr. Cmr. Deden Soemantri said that based on the initial investigation, the blast originated inside the vehicle.
"We can see that the inside of the car is badly damaged, while the outer part is not. So our preliminary conclusion is that the explosive device, probably a grenade, detonated inside the car," he said as reported by Kompas.com on Sunday.
The explosion caused heavy damage to the car's interior, broke windows and left holes in the doors and the roof. (rin)