Indonesian rescue teams are in a desperate race against time to locate and save at least 30 students still trapped beneath the rubble of an Islamic boarding school that tragically collapsed during a prayer service. The disaster, which occurred on Monday afternoon in East Java province, has already claimed the lives of at least three children, with dozens more injured, some critically.
Gatot Subroto, head of the provincial disaster management agency, confirmed the fatalities and injuries, while Nanang Sigit of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency in East Java emphasized the urgency of the situation. As of Tuesday morning, rescuers have managed to pull 11 students from the debris, but the search for the remaining 30 continues amidst challenging conditions.
Mr. Sigit noted that the instability of the collapsed structure makes the rescue operation particularly precarious, raising fears of further collapse. While officials haven’t specified the exact cause of the collapse in Sidoarjo, Mr. Sigit indicated that workers were pouring concrete on the top floor when structural pillars gave way. This sent the upper section crashing down onto a lower floor where students were engaged in prayer.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, operates over 30,000 Islamic boarding schools, known as pesantren, which provide education and housing, often for children from rural areas. Authorities anticipate the death toll in Sidoarjo may increase, given that approximately 100 students have been hospitalized, many with severe injuries.
Rescuers are actively providing water and food to those they can reach, but a major concern is the dwindling supply of oxygen and water for students still deeply entombed. Crews are strategically digging multiple access points as the children are believed to be scattered beneath the wreckage. Excavators are standing by, but their deployment is being carefully considered to avoid further destabilizing the already fragile remains of the building, which could put more lives at risk.
This incident highlights ongoing issues with construction quality in Indonesia, where structural failures and building collapses have frequently occurred, sometimes exacerbated by natural events like earthquakes. While a devastating earthquake struck Java in 2022, causing widespread destruction, no seismic activity was reported at the time of this school’s collapse.