The search mission for victims of the recent tragic school collapse in Indonesia has been officially called off after the death toll reached 67 individuals. The incident occurred on September 29 when a section of the multi-story Islamic boarding school in Indonesia’s Java island collapsed while over 170 students were gathered for afternoon prayers.
During a press briefing, Mohammad Syafii, the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), declared the conclusion of the search and rescue efforts on the 9th day following the incident. Yudhi Bramantyo, the agency’s operations director, stated that on Tuesday, rescue teams successfully cleared all debris from the collapse site and thoroughly combed the area, determining it was highly unlikely that additional bodies would be found.
According to Yudhi, the total number of individuals rescued stands at 171, with 67 casualties, including eight body parts recovered, while 104 people survived the ordeal. Budi Irawan, deputy head of the national disaster agency (BNPB), expressed doubt about the presence of more bodies at the site.
Up to this point, only 17 of the deceased have been positively identified by the police’s Disaster Victim Identification unit. Investigations into the collapse’s cause are ongoing, with initial assessments pointing towards potential substandard construction as a contributing factor, as per expert opinions.
Following the lapse of the critical 72-hour “golden period” for rescue operations, families of the missing individuals agreed last Thursday to utilize heavy machinery in the search efforts. The incident has highlighted concerns over lax construction standards and building safety across Indonesia.