At least three students died and dozens remain missing after an Islamic boarding school collapsed in Indonesia’s East Java province on Monday afternoon, according to authorities coordinating rescue operations.
The Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo collapsed at approximately 3 p.m. on September 29 as students were gathering for afternoon prayers. National Search and Rescue Agency head Mohammad Syafii reported that as of 12:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, “the number of victims is 102 people, consisting of 99 survivors, 3 deaths.”
Rescue teams are actively searching for people believed to be trapped under the rubble following the building collapse. The National Agency for Disaster Management confirmed that 11 people have been successfully rescued from the debris, while 91 others managed to escape on their own.
Seventy-seven victims were transported to several hospitals in the area for treatment of their injuries, according to disaster management officials. The agency indicated that efforts to assess the site, monitor the remaining building structure, and prepare evacuation routes for victims are the primary focus of the teams on the ground.
Authorities determined that the school’s foundation pillars gave way as construction crews were concreting the fourth floor of the building, causing the structure to collapse and trap dozens of people under debris. The National Search and Rescue Agency had earlier reported provisional data indicating that 100 students were caught up in the collapse.
The disaster management agency emphasized that the incident highlights the need for strict implementation of construction safety standards. Officials urged the public and managers of multistory buildings to ensure technical supervision during construction to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
This building collapse marks the second such incident in Indonesia in less than a month. On September 3, at least three people were killed and dozens were injured when a community hall hosting a Quran recital collapsed in West Java’s Bogor district.
Emergency response teams continue their search and rescue operations at the site, working to locate the remaining missing individuals. The focus remains on safely extracting any survivors while maintaining structural stability of the remaining portions of the building.
The collapse occurred during a routine day at the Islamic boarding school, when students would typically be preparing for their afternoon prayer session. The timing of the incident meant that a significant number of students were in or near the building when the structure failed.
Local hospitals in the East Java region have been treating the injured victims, with medical staff working to address various injuries sustained during the collapse. The disaster management agency continues to coordinate with medical facilities to ensure adequate care for all affected individuals.
Construction safety protocols have come under scrutiny following this incident, with authorities calling for enhanced oversight of building projects, particularly those involving educational facilities. The preliminary investigation suggests that structural failures during the construction process contributed to the catastrophic collapse.
Rescue operations remain ongoing as teams work methodically through the debris field. The National Agency for Disaster Management continues to provide updates on the search efforts and victim count as the situation develops.
