Rescue teams in East Java are racing to save dozens of students still trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed Islamic boarding school. The tragedy struck during evening prayers on Monday, when the Al Khoziny school building in Sidoarjo gave way.
At least three people have been confirmed dead and nearly 100 others injured, many in critical condition. Officials warn that the number of casualties may rise as the search continues. Around 38 students, mostly teenage boys, remain unaccounted for.
Authorities say the building had a weak foundation and was not designed to support two additional floors that were under construction. The collapse caused the structure to flatten into layers of concrete, making rescue operations extremely dangerous and difficult.
Survivors describe the terrifying moment the roof caved in. Thirteen-year-old Muhammad Rijalul Qoib recalled hearing loud cracks before debris began to fall. He was struck by part of the roof but managed to escape through the rubble. Another student described seeing classmates with severe injuries and broken bones.
Families have been keeping vigil outside the site, anxiously waiting for news. One mother, whose son remains missing, said she had spoken to him just a day before and never imagined such a disaster would happen.
Rescue workers are carefully using specialized equipment to avoid triggering further collapse, while debating whether heavy machinery could endanger anyone still alive beneath the concrete slabs.
Local authorities revealed that the school’s expansion project had not been granted official permits, raising fresh concerns about construction safety and oversight. Boarding schools like Al Khoziny, known as pesantren, often operate with limited regulation, despite housing large numbers of students aged 12 to 17.
The disaster highlights Indonesia’s poor building safety record. Earlier this month, a similar collapse in West Java killed four people during a religious gathering.
As families wait and rescuers continue their delicate search, the community fears that more lives may yet be lost in this devastating tragedy.