Indonesian rescuers on Tuesday searched for 38 people feared trapped beneath the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school after the multi-story building collapsed in Sidoarjo, East Java, during afternoon prayers on Monday afternoon, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). The agency said over 102 people were evacuated from the location while firefighters labored through broken concrete and debris. This effort follows after the building collapsed.
According to Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), 102 persons have been taken out of the region so far: 91 who escaped on their own and 11 who were saved by combined search-and-rescue teams. One of the rescued victims was found dead, and the person has been identified, the agency said.
Hospitals in Sidoarjo are treating dozens of injured. According to BNPB, 77 victims have been transported for care: 34 to the Sidoarjo General Regional Hospital (RSUD), 38 to Siti Hajar Hospital, and four to Delta Surya Hospital.
The collapse occurred around 3 p.m. local time on Monday, while students were performing the Ashar prayer in congregation, according to BNPB. Preliminary findings indicate the building’s foundation could not sustain the added load from construction work on a fourth floor that had been underway since the morning, causing the structure to give way down to the ground level.
BNPB has categorized the event as a technological failure disaster and urged stricter oversight of high-occupancy buildings, especially schools and dormitories. “Multi-story buildings, especially those used for educational purposes and housing many people, must undergo strict construction supervision,” Muhari said, as quoted by ANTARA.
Relief support is also moving in. The Ministry of Social Affairs has distributed food, shelter materials, and basic supplies to affected families, including ready-to-eat meals, children’s food packages, blankets, folding mattresses, family kits, and multipurpose tents, according to the ministry’s update relayed by BNPB.
Authorities said search operations would continue as teams work to clear rubble and account for the missing.
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