Mojokerto. A powerful explosion from the home of a policeman in Sumolawang Village, Mojokerto Regency, East Java, on Monday devastated nearby houses, killing a woman and her two-year-old child.

The house, owned by a local policeman identified only as Yudi, was unoccupied at the time of the blast, neighbors reported. The explosion destroyed the adjacent home, where a woman known as Luluk, 35, and her baby were found dead beneath the debris.

Witnesses described the explosion as so loud it could be heard up to two kilometers away. Neighbors also noted a strong smell of sulfur following the incident, raising suspicions that explosive materials may have been stored inside Yudi’s house.

“The explosion was very strong -- it destroyed the roof of my house. I could smell sulfur shortly afterward,” said a neighbor named Subhan.

Subhan also recounted the harrowing moments after the explosion. “After the thundering sound, I heard a child screaming for help from a destroyed home. We went inside and found two people under a collapsed brick wall,” he said.

Luluk and her baby were rushed to the nearest hospital by residents but were pronounced dead upon arrival.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. The police’s bomb disposal unit and forensic team have been deployed to the site to determine what triggered the deadly incident.

Authorities have yet to release an official statement on whether the explosion was an accident or involved criminal elements. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.

Add as a preferred source on Google +