Indonesia school collapse: Death toll rises to 49, rescue efforts continue

Rescue operations are ongoing after a prayer hall collapse at Indonesia’s Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, Java, which has now claimed 49 lives. Authorities are still searching for 14 students reportedly missing following the tragic accident on September 29.

Rescue efforts intensify

Rescuers, using heavy excavators, jackhammers, circular saws, and sometimes their bare hands, worked tirelessly over the weekend to remove tons of debris. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency reported that 35 bodies were recovered alone during this period. Meanwhile, 97 students who sustained minor injuries have been released from hospitals, and six students remain hospitalised with serious injuries.

Cause of collapse

The two-story building, part of a century-old school, was being expanded with two additional floors without official permits, leading to a structural failure. Most victims were boys aged 12 to 19, and only one student escaped unharmed.

Construction expert Mudji Irmawan from the Tenth November Institute of Technology explained: “The construction couldn’t support the load while concrete was poured for the third floor because it didn't meet standards. The entire 800-square-meter structure collapsed.” Irmawan also criticised allowing students inside an under-construction building.

Sidoarjo district chief, Subandi, confirmed the lack of permits, highlighting a broader issue of illegal construction in non-urban Indonesia. Indonesia’s 2002 Building Construction Code mandates permits before construction, with violations causing death punishable by up to 15 years in prison and fines nearing 8 billion rupiah ($500,000).

Community response

The school’s caretaker, Abdus Salam Mujib, a respected Islamic cleric, publicly apologised, calling for patience and faith. Criminal investigations involving clerics remain a sensitive matter in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. School officials have yet to comment on the incident.

East Java Police Chief Nanang Avianto said: “We will investigate this case thoroughly. Guidance from construction experts is required to determine if negligence by the school led to these deaths.”