Indonesia school collapse: At least one dead, dozens injured; 65 students feared trapped under rubble
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Indonesia school collapse Photograph: (X/InfoR00M)
At least 65 students are feared trapped under the rubble of a school building that collapsed in Indonesia. Rescue teams are on site, providing oxygen and water to those stuck beneath unstable concrete. Developing story.
At least one student died, and dozens were injured as a school building collapsed in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia. At least 65 students are feared trapped under the rubble. Rescue teams rushed to the spot upon receiving information of the building collapse and provided oxygen and water to students trapped in the unstable concrete rubble, according to reports.
Rescue efforts underway; death toll could rise
Rescue workers, police, and soldiers worked through the night at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School, pulling out eight injured students more than eight hours after the collapse. Officials warned that additional bodies were visible under the rubble, indicating the death toll could rise.
Families gathered near hospitals and the collapsed building, anxiously awaiting news of their children. Relatives were seen wailing as rescuers pulled a dusty, injured student from the buried prayer hall.
Students trapped under rubble
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A command post at the school reported 65 students as missing as of Tuesday morning. Most were boys aged 12 to 17, studying in grades seven to eleven. 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.
How the collapse happened
Police say the students were performing afternoon prayers in a building undergoing unauthorised expansion when it suddenly collapsed. Female students praying in another section of the building reportedly escaped unharmed.
Residents, teachers, and administrators helped evacuate injured students, many of whom suffered head injuries and broken bones. Officials confirmed that one 13-year-old boy died, while 99 others were injured, some critically, and transported to nearby hospitals.
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Investigation launched
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.
