Sidoarjo School Collapse Traps Students, One Dead, Dozens Injured

Sidoarjo, Indonesia – Rescue teams worked through the night and into Tuesday morning to save students trapped under the concrete rubble of a collapsed school building in Sidoarjo, East Java. The incident at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School left at least one student dead, dozens injured, and 65 others missing, presumed buried beneath the debris.

Rescuers, supported by police and soldiers, managed to pull eight injured students from the wreckage more than eight hours after the building gave way. Teams provided oxygen and water to those trapped, striving to keep them alive while carefully navigating unstable concrete and heavy debris. Officials warned that the death toll could rise as additional bodies were spotted under the rubble.

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Families gathered near the collapsed building and at hospitals, anxiously waiting for news. Emotional scenes unfolded as parents identified their children on a missing list posted at the rescue command post. The missing students were primarily boys between grades seven and 11, aged 12 to 17.

Search and rescue officer Nanang Sigit described the challenges faced by the teams: “Heavy slabs of concrete and unstable parts of the building make the work dangerous. We are focusing on saving lives first while being careful not to trigger further collapse.” Several hundred personnel were involved, equipped with breathing apparatus, medical support, and extrication tools.

The collapse occurred while students were performing afternoon prayers in a building undergoing an unauthorized expansion. Female students in another section of the structure were able to escape unharmed, while male students in the prayer hall were caught beneath the falling concrete. One 13-year-old boy was killed, and 99 others were injured, some critically, and were immediately taken to nearby hospitals.

Authorities indicated that the building’s collapse was likely due to structural failure. Provincial police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast explained that the original two-story prayer hall was undergoing construction to add two additional floors without a permit. “The old building’s foundation could not support the extra concrete floors, causing it to collapse during the pouring process,” he said.

Local residents, school staff, and administrators assisted in evacuating and caring for injured students. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the collapse and ensure accountability.

The tragic incident highlights the dangers of unauthorized construction and the critical importance of adhering to building safety standards. Rescue operations continue as teams work to locate and free the remaining missing students.