SIDOARJO (Rajeev Sharma): Emergency crews in East Java are in a tense race against time as at least 91 students remain unaccounted for following the collapse of a school building in Sidoarjo earlier this week.
The tragedy occurred at Al Khojini Islamic Boarding School during afternoon prayers on Monday, when a section of the nearly 100-year-old building gave way, burying dozens of students under debris. Officials say unauthorized renovation work was being carried out at the time of the collapse.
Rescue teams, including personnel from the military, police, and disaster management agency, have been working non-stop since Monday to sift through the rubble in search of survivors. Heavy machinery, rescue dogs, and thermal imaging tools are being used, but the sheer scale of the debris and the fragility of surrounding structures have slowed progress.
Authorities confirmed that three students have died, while over 100 have sustained injuries, some of them critical. Most of the victims are in their teens, attending the boarding school as part of their religious education.
The National Disaster Management Agency revised the number of missing students late Tuesday, raising it from 38 to 91 after cross-checking school registers and receiving new reports from concerned parents.
One official on site described the situation as “heart-wrenching,” with families of the missing camped outside the ruins, waiting anxiously for news.
The government has ordered an inquiry into the cause of the collapse, focusing on the alleged illegal construction and whether safety standards were ignored. Questions are also being raised about the structural integrity of other aging educational institutions across the region.
As the operation enters its third day, rescuers remain hopeful but acknowledge that time is running out.
