The confirmed death toll from a catastrophic building collapse at an Islamic boarding school in East Java has reached 14, with rescue teams continuing the grim task of recovering victims from the wreckage. Dozens of students remain missing, and officials anticipate the number of fatalities will increase.
The incident occurred on Monday when a structure at the century-old Al Khoziny school suddenly gave way. Initial rescue operations, conducted manually in hopes of finding survivors, transitioned to using heavy machinery after no further signs of life were detected by Thursday.
Working under intense heat on Friday, crews employed excavators and jackhammers to break apart and remove massive concrete slabs. The somber atmosphere was marked by the telltale odor of decomposition, a stark indicator of the task ahead. By nightfall, nine additional bodies had been retrieved.
The head of the national disaster agency, present at the site, indicated that recovery efforts are projected to conclude by Saturday evening. The collapse primarily affected a prayer hall, trapping hundreds of individuals. Reports indicate the students present were mostly adolescent boys. Female students, who were in a different section of the building at the time, reportedly escaped unharmed.
One survivor, a 13-year-old boy, recounted the terrifying moments of the collapse. He described hearing a noise resembling falling rocks that grew progressively louder, followed by the floor shaking. He managed to flee just as the roof gave way, sustaining only a minor head injury. He escaped by following a voice and moving toward a sliver of light through a narrow gap in the debris.
Many other survivors were less fortunate, suffering severe injuries including head trauma and broken bones, and remain hospitalized.
A preliminary investigation suggests the disaster was caused by structural failure. The original two-storey building was reportedly undergoing the unauthorized addition of two more levels. Authorities believe the existing foundation could not support the new construction, leading to the collapse during concrete work. School officials have yet to make a public statement regarding the incident.
