Indonesia school collapse: Three days on, 59 students still trapped under rubble
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Indonesia school collapse: Three days on, 59 students still trapped under rubble")
Collapsed building of Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java Photograph: (AFP)
At least 59 students, most of them boys aged 12–17, are still trapped under the rubble of a collapsed boarding school in East Java, Indonesia, three days after the tragedy killed five.
At least 59 students remain trapped under the ruins of a collapsed boarding school on Indonesia’s main island of Java, officials said Thursday (Oct 2), as desperate parents called for faster rescue efforts. The four-storey building gave way on Monday (Sep 29) as students gathered for afternoon prayers, killing at least five people. On Wednesday (Oct 1) rescue workers pulled five survivors from the wreckage, but dozens are still unaccounted for. The death toll could increase with dozens still trapped under the rubble.
59 still trapped three days later
In a statement, Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster and Mitigation Agency, said that “Data updated Wednesday at 11:00 pm (1600 GMT) indicates that 59 people are still trapped under the rubble”. He added the figure could change as survivors come forward. Muhari revealed that the figure was based on the attendance list released by the boarding school.
How the collapse happened
Police say the students were performing afternoon prayers at the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, in a building undergoing unauthorised expansion when it suddenly collapsed. While the female students praying in another section of the building reportedly escaped unharmed, the victims of the tragedy are mostly boys aged 12 to 17, studying in grades seven to eleven. Residents, teachers, and administrators helped evacuate injured students, many of whom suffered head injuries and broken bones.
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Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse. Provincial police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast said the old prayer hall was originally two stories, but two additional floors were being added without a permit, likely contributing to the disaster.
Heavy concrete slabs and unstable parts of the building have hindered the search, with rescuers avoiding heavy machinery due to fears it could trigger further collapses. Several hundred personnel, equipped with breathing apparatus, extrication tools, and medical support, are involved in the ongoing rescue operation, according to an AP report.
