A SCHOOL packed with students crumbled without warning in Indonesia, leaving dozens trapped and sparking a frantic rescue operation.
At least 99 students were injured and one 13-year-old boy has been confirmed dead after the prayer hall at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo collapsed.
A prayer hall at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Indonesia collapsed
Rescuers searching for victims inside of the collapsed prayer building
Officials say 65 more students – mostly boys aged 12 to 17 – are still believed to be buried beneath concrete slabs and twisted steel.
The number of dead is expected to rise as rescuers struggle through unstable debris.
Hundreds of rescuers — including disaster response teams, police and soldiers — worked through the night after the building came down during afternoon prayers on Monday afternoon.
They used breathing gear, cutting tools and stretchers to reach survivors while avoiding further collapse.
“We have been running oxygen and water to those still trapped under the debris and keeping them alive while we work hard to get them out,” said search and rescue officer Nanang Sigit, who is leading the operation.
He said rescuers had seen several bodies but were focusing on saving those still alive.
Provincial police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast revealed the hall was undergoing an unauthorised expansion when disaster hit.
“The old building’s foundation was apparently unable to support two floors of concrete and collapsed during the pouring process,” Abast said.
Rescue teams have been forced to dig by hand and use light tools because the wreckage is dangerously unstable.
Heavy machinery is on standby but mostly avoided for fear it could trigger another collapse.
Efforts were temporarily halted on Tuesday morning when part of the rubble suddenly shifted, sending rescuers and waiting relatives scrambling away.
Ambulances stationed nearby also pulled back as officials warned of another potential cave-in.
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