Emergency teams in Indonesia are engaged in a desperate race against time to locate and rescue at least 30 students. An Islamic boarding school tragically collapsed during a prayer service on Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least three of their young classmates.
The horrific incident occurred Monday afternoon in East Java province. Provincial disaster management chief Gatot Subroto confirmed that three students lost their lives, and approximately one hundred others sustained injuries in the collapse.
Nanang Sigit, who leads the National Search and Rescue Agency’s East Java branch, reported that rescuers have managed to pull 11 students from the debris, but a grim count indicates that at least 30 remain unaccounted for.
Mr. Gatot emphasized the critical need to maximize rescue efforts for potential survivors. However, Mr. Nanang highlighted the immense difficulties, explaining that the remaining structure is highly unstable and poses an ongoing risk of further collapse.
The exact cause of the Sidoarjo school’s collapse has not yet been definitively determined by officials.
According to Mr. Nanang, the tragedy unfolded as workers were pouring concrete on the school’s top floor. The supporting pillars failed, causing the upper section of the building to plummet onto the lower floor where students were gathered for prayer.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim community, hosts over 30,000 Islamic boarding schools, known as pesantren. These institutions provide residence and education for children, many of whom come from rural regions, as per the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Authorities are concerned that the number of fatalities in Sidoarjo may still increase. Mr. Gatot confirmed that roughly 100 students were hospitalized for their injuries, with several reported to be in critical condition.
While rescuers have managed to deliver water and food to some trapped individuals, grave concerns persist regarding diminishing oxygen and hydration for those still caught beneath the debris, Mr. Nanang noted. Teams are strategically digging at various locations, as the children are believed to be dispersed throughout the collapsed structure.
Heavy excavators are on standby at the site. However, officials are hesitant to deploy them, fearing that the vibrations and force from the machinery could trigger additional collapses, putting more lives at risk.
Poor construction quality is a persistent issue in Indonesia, where buildings have frequently succumbed to earthquakes and structural weaknesses. For instance, a 2022 earthquake on Java, the nation’s main island, claimed hundreds of lives and devastated numerous homes and buildings.
Interestingly, no seismic activity was recorded when the school collapsed, as confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey.