Jakarta, Indonesia - A devastating collapse at an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, has left one student dead and 65 others buried under the rubble. The accident occurred on Sunday afternoon at approximately 3:35 p.m. local time at the Al Khozini Islamic Boarding School during unauthorized expansion work.
The incident claimed the life of one 13-year-old male student, and over 90 people were injured, with some reportedly in critical condition. Authorities are grappling with the tragedy as 65 people, primarily male students aged 12 to 17 (grades 7-11), remain missing and are presumed trapped beneath the concrete debris. The students were attending afternoon prayers in the building at the time of the collapse.
Rescue Efforts and Cause of the Collapse
Police and rescue teams swiftly mobilized heavy machinery to sift through the wreckage in a desperate search for survivors. In a ray of hope, eight survivors were pulled from the rubble approximately eight hours after the disaster. However, officials fear the death toll will rise, as rescuers have reportedly spotted additional bodies in the debris. Distraught families have gathered near the collapse site and at local hospitals, anxiously awaiting news of their children.
The cause of the catastrophic failure appears to be structurally related to illegal construction. Jules Abraham Abast, a spokesperson for the East Java Regional Police, confirmed that the original prayer hall was a two-story structure, but the school was attempting to add two more floors without the necessary permits.
"It appears the existing foundation concrete could not support the weight, and it collapsed during the concrete pouring process," Abast stated. Initial reports suggest female students were in a separate building for prayers, significantly reducing the potential casualty count among them and resulting in a victim pool overwhelmingly comprised of male students.
This tragic event highlights the dangers of bypassing building codes and construction regulations, particularly in structures that house large numbers of children. The search and rescue operation continues, with teams racing against time to find anyone still alive beneath the ruins.
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