&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Indonesia school collapse death toll rises to 45, dozens of students still trapped under rubble")
The death toll from the collapse of a boarding school in Indonesia rose to 45 on Sunday (Oct 5), officials said, as rescuers continued to search through piles of rubble for dozens still missing. “According to our calculation, the total number of victims we have evacuated is 149, with 45 reported dead ... and 104 survivors,” said Yudhi Bramantyo, operations director at the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). Earlier, he added that 26 people remain unaccounted for. The multi-storey school building, located in West Sumatra province, suddenly gave way on Monday afternoon as students were gathering for prayers. The collapse was so violent that it sent tremors through nearby homes, according to residents.
Rescue efforts continue 6 days later
Rescue teams have been working around the clock, often by hand, to remove debris before bringing in heavy machinery over the weekend. The use of excavators had been delayed earlier in the week out of concern that vibrations might cause further collapses, but families of the missing agreed to proceed once the 72-hour “golden period” for survival had passed.
The debris removal is now concentrated on the northern section of the site, an area believed to contain several classrooms. “The evacuation process is still ongoing. Debris removal is focused to the north side in an area not integrated with the main structure,” Bramantyo said on Saturday.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) chief added that rescuers were racing against time and weather, using sniffer dogs and excavators to reach buried victims. The rescue effort has been hampered by aftershocks from a nearby earthquake earlier in the week, which briefly halted operations.
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How the collapse happened
Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the collapse, but early investigations point to possible construction flaws and poor maintenance. 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. Local officials have vowed to launch a full inquiry once rescue efforts conclude.
