AT least 91 students remain trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed Islamic boarding school in Indonesia’s East Java province, nearly two days after the structure caved in during afternoon prayers, officials have confirmed.
AP reported on Wednesday that the building collapse occurred at the century-old al-Khoziny Islamic boarding school, where more than 300 students—mostly boys aged between 12 and 18—were gathered for prayers on Monday.
The disaster has so far claimed the lives of at least three students and injured over 100, many suffering from head trauma and fractures.
“The latest count, based on school attendance records and reports from families, indicates 91 are still unaccounted for,” Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said late Tuesday, significantly revising earlier estimates.
Authorities believe six children are still alive under the rubble, though their condition remains uncertain. Emergency workers have been passing oxygen, water and food through narrow gaps to those pinned beneath the concrete. “Heavy machinery is available, but it’s not being used as the structure is extremely unstable,” a BNPB spokesperson told local media.
The school’s prayer hall, originally a two-storey structure, had been undergoing unauthorised construction to add two additional floors at the time of the collapse. Police said the foundation—already aged—could not withstand the added weight of poured concrete and gave way during the expansion.
Female students, who were praying in a separate section of the building, managed to escape uninjured.
More than 300 rescuers, including local police, fire brigades and military personnel, worked through the night in a race against time to reach survivors. Rescuers have also been joined by volunteers from surrounding villages, many using their bare hands and rudimentary tools to remove rubble.
The government has launched a full investigation into the incident. Police confirmed the construction was carried out without proper permits and are expected to pursue legal action against those responsible for the expansion. - October 1, 2025
