Female students in another section of the school reportedly escaped unharmed. Most victims are boys aged 12 to 17, studying in grades seven to eleven. (Photo: X/InfoR00M)
Around 91 young students are still believed to be trapped under the ruins of a collapsed school on Indonesia’s main island of Java, said National Disaster and Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari on Tuesday (Sep 30).
Earlier in the day, officials confirmed that at least three people had died and 99 others were hospitalized, some with critical injuries. The number of casualties could rise, as dozens remain trapped under the rubble.
Abdul Muhari said, "Based on student attendance data, 91 people are suspected to be buried under building materials."
The collapse occurred on Monday (Sep 29) at the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java. Students were performing afternoon prayers when the building, which was undergoing unauthorized expansion, suddenly fell.
Female students in another section of the school reportedly escaped unharmed. Most victims are boys aged 12 to 17, studying in grades seven to eleven.
Indonesian rescue teams have been working tirelessly for two days to reach the trapped students. In one pocket of the collapsed building, authorities found six people alive. They are providing them with food, water, and oxygen.
Despite these efforts, at least 91 students remain missing, feared buried under concrete rubble, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Authority (BPBD).
Family members have gathered at the school in Sidoarjo, about 670 kilometers (420 miles) east of Jakarta, anxiously waiting for news. Authorities posted a list of missing students at the site to help families track their children.
