Indonesia school collapse leaves dozens feared dead, say officials

A tragic incident occurred in Indonesia where a school building collapsed, leaving dozens feared dead, according to officials. Rescue operations are underway as emergency teams search through the rubble to locate survivors and provide medical assistance to the injured. Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse, while families anxiously await news of their loved ones. The disaster has drawn national concern, highlighting urgent issues around building safety and preparedness in vulnerable communities.

Rescue workers reported that they have not found any traces of life beneath the ruins of the Indonesian school collapse, where 59 people remain unaccounted for.

At the time of the incident on Monday, several hundred students, mostly male teenagers were inside the two-storey Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo. Authorities confirmed that at least five lives were lost and around 100 others sustained injuries.

Since the search began, thirteen people have been pulled out alive, though two of them later passed away in hospital. The rescue process has been complicated by the fragile condition of the building.

On Thursday, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP) stated that thermal drones deployed during the search failed to register any life signs under the wreckage.

Lt Gen Suharyanto, the BNBP chief, said during a press briefing that the site was silenced the previous night to maximize the sensitivity of the advanced detection equipment in hopes of hearing movement or voices.

He admitted, however, that no scientific evidence of survival was detected. The team has now decided to shift operations to a new stage, bringing in heavy machinery to remove or cut through massive concrete slabs.

This approach had been delayed earlier because of fears that the fragile building might collapse further, endangering potential survivors. Officials had said a day earlier that faint cries and shouts were still being heard from beneath the rubble.

At the school grounds, distraught relatives remain, many in tears yet still clinging to the hope that loved ones will be found alive. One student’s brother, 17-year-old Maulana Bayu Rizky Pratama, told AFP that he was desperately waiting for positive news, praying that his sibling survives after being trapped for days.

Another parent, 52-year-old Ahmad Ikhsan, told Reuters he believes his son is still alive. The BNBP said on Wednesday that 59 individuals were thought to be buried under the debris, though these numbers have shifted frequently, with Suharyanto noting that figures are often uncertain in the early stages of such disasters.

Investigations revealed the building collapsed while still under construction, as two more floors had been added. The BNBP later concluded the foundation was too weak to support the extra load. The local regent of Sidoarjo confirmed that the school’s management had failed to obtain permits for the additional floors.

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Source: BBC‍