In a tragic incident at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, a building collapse has left numerous students trapped beneath its rubble. Rescuers have been working tirelessly over 12 hours, delivering oxygen and water to survivors still ensnared within the unstable structure. The collapse has claimed at least one young life, injured dozens, and left 65 students presumed buried beneath the debris.
Throughout the night, rescue teams, comprising police, soldiers, and volunteers, successfully extracted eight survivors who were found weakened and injured. However, the discovery of additional bodies suggests an increase in the death toll. At 10:15 a.m., a brief halt in the rescue operations was prompted by tremors from the remaining structure, raising fears of further collapse and causing panic among those nearby.
Families of the trapped students anxiously wait for news, gathered at hospitals and near the collapse site. Wailing relatives clutch at hope as rescuers manage to pull injured students from the buried structure. Currently, the missing count stands at 65, predominantly boys aged between 12 and 17, as listed on a notice board at the command post within the school complex.
The structure, undergoing an unauthorized expansion, succumbed during prayer time, burying the students under heavy slabs of concrete. Provincial police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast revealed that the old prayer hall, originally a two-story structure, had two additional floors being added without proper permits. The inadequate foundation was unable to support the additional weight, leading to the catastrophic collapse during the concrete pouring process.
With several hundred rescue personnel on-site, equipped with medical evacuation tools and other support equipment, efforts continue to focus on the living, although rescuers have spotted several bodies beneath the rubble. Heavy equipment remains unused to avoid triggering another collapse.
Residents have rallied to assist, providing aid to injured students suffering from head injuries and broken bones. Thankfully, female students, who were praying in another part of the building, managed to escape the disaster.
As the rescue efforts continue, authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact causes of this tragic event, which underscores the critical importance of proper building regulations and safety standards.