Rescue teams in Indonesia are battling against time to free dozens of teenagers still trapped beneath the rubble of an Islamic boarding school that collapsed earlier this week in East Java, disaster officials said on Thursday.
The Al Khoziny Islamic school, or pesantren, located in the town of Sidoarjo—about 480 miles east of Jakarta—collapsed after its foundations failed to support ongoing construction on the upper floors. The structure gave way during prayer time, burying scores of students under debris.
Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the country’s disaster mitigation agency, confirmed that 59 students remained unaccounted for, based on school attendance lists and missing person reports filed by families.
Search and rescue officials reported grim progress on Thursday. “We have not detected any signs of life,” said Emi Freezer, a rescue agency official, noting that teams had deployed motion detectors and scanners in the search.
Images released by the agency showed rescuers in bright orange uniforms crawling through narrow passages carved out of the rubble. A crane has also been deployed to lift lighter debris in hopes of reaching those trapped deeper inside.
The death toll has been the subject of conflicting reports. While the disaster mitigation agency listed five confirmed fatalities, Yudhi Bramantyo, the rescue agency’s operations director, said late Wednesday the number had risen to six. “We cannot give up. Maybe there is still hope for our younger brothers,” Bramantyo said.
The collapse has left anguished families waiting for news. Around the site, parents gathered by a whiteboard listing the names of survivors. Among them was 52-year-old Ahmad Ikhsan, searching for his 14-year-old son, Arif Affandi. “Until now, I haven’t heard about my son,” he said. “I believe my son is still alive.”
Pesantren are central to Indonesia’s education system, particularly in rural areas. The Ministry of Religious Affairs estimates there are about 42,000 such schools across the country, serving more than 7 million students.
As the hours pass, hopes for survivors are dwindling. Still, rescuers vow to continue their search until every child is accounted for.
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