At least one student has died and dozens more are feared trapped after a four-storey school building collapsed in East Java, Indonesia, during afternoon prayers on Monday. Rescue teams worked through the night at the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, where 65 students remain unaccounted for.
The building, part of a prayer hall complex, collapsed while students, mostly boys aged 12 to 17 were inside. At least 99 students have been injured, some critically. One 13-year-old boy has been confirmed dead.
Rescue officials say oxygen and water are being supplied to those still trapped. “We’re doing everything we can to keep them alive,” said Nanang Sigit, head of the regional search and rescue team. Eight students were pulled from the rubble overnight, though several bodies have also been seen under the debris.
Outside the site, anxious families waited for updates. A noticeboard listing the names of the missing prompted grief and panic. “My son is still buried, oh my God,” one mother sobbed. Parents clung to rescuers, pleading for news.
Authorities say the collapse occurred in a building undergoing an unauthorized expansion. According to police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast, two additional concrete floors were being added to an existing two-storey structure without permits. “The foundation wasn’t built to support the weight,” he said. “It gave way during the concrete pouring.”
Female students in another part of the building managed to escape unharmed. Teachers and local residents assisted with first aid before emergency services arrived.
Rescue efforts are being slowed by the unstable remains of the building. Although heavy equipment is available, officials are using manual methods to avoid triggering further collapse. “We’re prioritizing saving those who are still alive,” said Sigit.
Hundreds of rescue workers, including police and soldiers, are on site with medical and evacuation tools. Authorities have launched an investigation into the construction, and whether school officials could face legal consequences remains under review.
As rescue efforts stretch into their second day, the shattered concrete and steel serve as a grim reminder of the tragedy and the students still trapped beneath.
