The death toll from the collapse of an Islamic school building in Indonesia’s East Java province has risen to nine, authorities confirmed Friday, as rescuers continue searching for survivors.
The Al Khoziny school in Sidoarjo collapsed on Monday during afternoon prayers, trapping hundreds of teenage students under rubble. The building’s foundations reportedly could not support ongoing construction on the upper floors.
Rescue efforts remain underway, with more than 50 students – mostly boys aged 13 to 19 – still unaccounted for. Thirty ambulances and cranes have been deployed to assist in the operation, with heavy equipment being used to remove debris after families of the victims gave their consent.
“Every family of the victims has given their blessing if the heavy equipment gets in there and disturbs the bodies beneath the rubble,” said Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, noting that additional casualties may be found.
Rescuers are carefully digging through the remains, calling out students’ names and using sensors to detect any movement, but so far no signs of life have been found in some areas. Fourteen students have been rescued and are receiving medical treatment.
Al Khoziny is an Islamic boarding school, locally known as a pesantren. Indonesia has roughly 42,000 pesantren, serving around seven million students, according to the country’s religious affairs ministry.
