Rescue teams in East Java, Indonesia, are racing against time to save dozens of students and workers trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed school building in Sidoarjo.
At least three people have been confirmed dead and 99 others hospitalized, several in critical condition, following the collapse of the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School on Monday evening. Officials fear the death toll could rise as search efforts continue.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, the two-storey structure had been built on a weak foundation and was unable to withstand the additional weight of two newly constructed floors.
Tragedy struck as students gathered for evening prayers when the building gave way, burying scores under concrete slabs. While many of the girls managed to escape from another section of the school, dozens of teenage boys, aged 12 to 17, remain missing.
Local media footage shows the collapsed building flattened in a “pancake” formation, with giant slabs of concrete jutting out. Cries for help were reportedly heard from beneath the rubble overnight, while distraught relatives kept vigil outside, anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.
Rescue chief Mohammad Syafeii, head of the Basarnas search and rescue agency, described the situation as “extremely delicate.” He warned that using heavy machinery such as cranes and excavators could endanger survivors still trapped in narrow voids formed by the collapse.
“Shifting the slabs may also put lives at risk, but leaving them untouched could delay rescue,” he explained, adding that specialized teams with extrication tools have been deployed from across the region to conduct a carefully coordinated operation.
Authorities temporarily halted the search on Tuesday morning due to fears of further collapse, but vowed to resume operations with reinforced safety measures.
The disaster has once again spotlighted building safety standards in Indonesia, where poorly regulated construction and weak infrastructure often contribute to deadly collapses.
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