Members of a spiritual group were swept by huge waves while they were performing a ritual on Payangan Beach in Jember Regency, East Java on Sunday. Of the 20 people pulled in by the waves, 11 were reportedly killed in the incident.
Jember Police Chief Hery Purnomo said 24 people from a group called Padepokan Jamaah Tunggal Jati Nusantara were at the event, but four of them, including children, did not take part in the ritual.
Based on testimony from survivors, Hery said that the group conducted the ritual to find serenity and inner peace soon after midnight.
“The activity was carried out on the beach, but because it was too close to the waves, they were swept away,” Hery said yesterday.
Ambulu Sub-precinct Chief Makruf said that the group departed from a gathering point in Sukorambi district — where the group’s leader, 35-year-old NH, is from — and traveled to Payangan beach on Saturday evening. They arrived on the beach at around 11:30pm, and started meditating and reciting prayers at midnight before going into the water.
According to Makruf, guards at the beach had warned the group not to get too close to the water.
The victims were found around one kilometer from the beach where the ritual took place, with police saying that the rescue mission proved to be challenging due to the strong waves and rocky terrain.
According to reports, the victims include a 13-year-old girl, people in their early 20s and 30s, and a 55-year-old man, while the ages of the other victims have yet to be determined. One of the victims has been identified as a police officer who was stationed at Pujer Sub-precinct in Bondowoso regency.
The surviving victims are currently receiving treatment at a local puskesmas (community clinic). Police are still questioning survivors and other witnesses to determine any possible criminal wrongdoing in the incident.
