Rescue Efforts Underway in Indonesia Following School Collapse
Indonesian rescue teams are urgently searching for dozens of young students who have been trapped under rubble in Sidoarjo, East Java, for two days after their Islamic boarding school collapsed during afternoon prayers.
In one area of the mangled debris from the century-old Al Khoziny boarding school, rescuers found six children alive and provided them with food, water, and oxygen.
According to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Authority (BPBD), at least 91 individuals are still unaccounted for. As of late Tuesday, three fatalities have been confirmed, and 100 others sustained injuries.
Officials have cautioned that time is critical in reaching those still alive, as the vast rescue operation entered its third day on Wednesday. Laksita Rini, head of the Fire and Rescue Department in Surabaya, stated that hope remains as “once a specific location is identified, the chances of survival can be increased.”
Rescue operations are further complicated by an earthquake that hit the region of Sumenep, approximately 124 miles from the collapse site, with fears that the tremors may have compacted the debris even more tightly.
The trapped children managed to communicate with the rescue team, prompting the creation of “tunnel-like passages or culverts to save the survivors.” Nanang Sigit, leading the search and rescue efforts, mentioned they were providing oxygen to those who remained trapped.
In total, rescue teams are focusing on 15 locations, six of which are believed to still harbor survivors, according to Air Vice Marshal Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia’s national Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). As families anxiously awaited news, many gathered outside the school where lists of missing students were displayed.
The collapse occurred while students, aged between 12 and 18, were attending afternoon prayers. Reports indicate that a fourth floor of the building was under construction without the necessary permits, which has raised concerns about safety protocols for local Islamic schools.
