Search Ends After Indonesian School Collapse Leaves Dozens Dead
Indonesian rescuers concluded their search on Tuesday for victims trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed Islamic boarding school in East Java, after recovering more than 60 bodies, authorities confirmed.
The tragedy in the town of Sidoarjo struck last week when structural failures caused the Al Khoziny school to collapse during afternoon prayers, trapping hundreds inside, mostly teenage boys. While most escaped, the incident left the community in mourning.
Officials from the disaster mitigation agency reported that 67 bodies had been recovered, along with eight unidentified body parts. With no further signs of victims, the search was called off in what the agency described as the deadliest disaster of the year.
"The search operation at the Al Khoziny school has officially ended," said Mohammad Syafii, head of the search and rescue agency, after the debris was cleared.
Yudhi Bramantyo, the agency's operations director, stated that all rubble at the site had been removed and the area thoroughly searched, confirming that no more victims were likely to be found.
"Of the 171 victims recovered, 67 died, including eight unidentified body parts, while 104 survived," Yudhi told reporters.
Rescuers had used heavy machinery to move concrete slabs and dug through rubble while calling out for possible survivors.
The school was one of more than 42,000 such institutions across the country, known as pesantren, though only about 50 are officially permitted, according to government records.
Authorities suspect that the collapse occurred after two additional floors were illegally added to the two-story building without proper approval, raising concerns over unsafe construction practices.
Under Indonesia's 2002 building code, construction without permits can result in fines or imprisonment. If negligence leads to deaths, the penalty may extend to 15 years in prison and fines of up to 8 billion rupiah ($500,000).
A day after the incident, Abdus Salam Mujib, the school's caretaker and a well-known cleric in the region, publicly expressed sorrow.
"This is God's decree, and we must accept it with patience," he said. "May God bring blessings and greater good to those affected."
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