Parents and emergency workers in Indonesia continued a desperate search on Tuesday for dozens of teenage boys feared trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed Islamic boarding school, as officials confirmed three fatalities.
The Al Khoziny school building in Sidoarjo, approximately 780 kilometres east of Jakarta, gave way during late afternoon prayers on Monday. Pupils had gathered in a mosque located on the lower floor of the structure, while construction work was ongoing on the upper levels.
Authorities stated that 91 individuals remained unaccounted for, with 99 children and staff confirmed safe. Rescue teams recovered three bodies by Tuesday evening, while efforts to locate survivors continued amid the debris.
Nanang Sigit, head of the local rescue agency, reported signs of life beneath the wreckage. “We used a camera and were able to detect six victims who showed signs of life,” he said. “When they saw the light from the search camera, they were moving their legs.”
Among those searching was Holy Abdullah Arif, 49, who held up a photograph of his missing nephew, Rosi. “I ran around screaming, ‘Rosi! Rosi! If you can hear me and can move, get out!’” he recounted. “Then a child was screaming back from the rubble, he was stuck. I thought that was Rosi, so I asked, ‘Are you Rosi?’ and the child said, ‘God, no, help me!’”
Families gathered around a whiteboard listing known survivors, anxiously scanning for the names of their children.
Heavy machinery, including an excavator and crane, was deployed to assist in clearing the site. However, Sigit noted that authorities were reluctant to use such equipment extensively due to fears of further structural collapse.
Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP), confirmed that 26 injured individuals were receiving treatment in local hospitals. He attributed the collapse to the failure of foundation pillars, which were unable to support the weight of a newly constructed fourth floor.
Muhari called for stricter oversight of building practices and urged both the public and property managers to ensure construction standards are upheld to prevent similar tragedies.
Local media reported that construction at the school had been ongoing for nine months. The incident has reignited concerns over lax building regulations in Indonesia, where it is common for structures to be left incomplete, with additional floors added as finances allow.
Earlier this month, three people were killed and dozens injured when a building hosting a prayer recital collapsed in West Java. In 2018, seven teenagers died in Cirebon while rehearsing for a musical performance when the building they were in collapsed. That same year, 75 people were injured when the mezzanine floor at Indonesia’s stock exchange in Jakarta gave way.
