In Sidoarjo, East Java, an urgent and heartbreaking scene unfolds as rescue teams relentlessly search for students trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed Islamic boarding school. Two days after the devastating incident, which tragically took the lives of at least three students and left many more injured during a prayer service, hope dwindles but efforts intensify. Above, rescuers navigate the perilous wreckage on Wednesday, a stark reminder of the urgent race against time. (Photo: Trisnadi/Associated Press)
The scale of the disaster is immense, with Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency estimating that 91 individuals remain either trapped or unaccounted for within the ruins of the Al Khoziny school. The structure, located in East Java Province, unexpectedly gave way on Monday afternoon, setting off a frantic recovery operation.
Authorities have attributed the collapse of the low-rise building to a “technological failure.” Investigations revealed that the school had been undergoing construction to add a fourth floor when the tragedy struck.
“Our primary focus right now is on evacuating students who are still trapped,” stated Emil Elistianto Dardak, the deputy governor of East Java, in an interview. He confirmed that by midday Wednesday, eleven individuals had been rescued alive. Rescue teams are now concentrating their efforts on a glimmer of hope: another five to seven students who are miraculously still able to communicate with their potential saviors.
In a testament to human resilience and dedication, some workers are digging through the rubble by hand, desperately trying to create pathways to those trapped. Concurrently, others are supplying food and water through any available openings to help sustain the victims, as reported by Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency.
Heavy machinery remains on standby, awaiting the critical moment when authorities confirm no more survivors are likely to be found. Officials are exercising extreme caution, refraining from deploying such equipment to prevent further structural collapses that could imperil those still clinging to life beneath the wreckage.
The rescue operation is fraught with peril, explained Nanang Sigit, head of the East Java office for the agency. He emphasized the inherent danger, noting that the remaining sections of the Sidoarjo building are highly unstable and pose a constant threat of further collapse.
According to Sigit, the catastrophe unfolded as workers were pouring concrete on the school’s uppermost floor. The pillars tragically failed, causing the newly constructed section to plunge onto a lower floor where students were engaged in prayer.
Mr. Muhari reiterated that the building’s structural failure is definitively classified as a “technological failure,” pointing to deficiencies in its design or construction methods.
In the aftermath, 26 individuals remain hospitalized, several in critical condition, while 70 others have thankfully been treated and discharged.
Indonesia, a nation home to the world’s largest Muslim population, operates over 30,000 Islamic boarding schools, known as pesantren. These institutions serve as residential educational centers for children, particularly those from rural regions, as confirmed by the country’s Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Concerns about substandard construction quality are not new in Indonesia, a country prone to seismic activity. Past earthquakes, such as the one in Java in 2022, which claimed hundreds of lives and leveled countless homes and structures, have highlighted persistent issues with building integrity.
Significantly, the U.S. Geological Survey reported no seismic activity in the region at the exact moment of the school’s collapse, indicating that the structural failure was not earthquake-related.