Rescuers managed to extract two survivors from a collapsed school in Indonesia yesterday, while anxious parents urged a quicker pace in the search for numerous children believed to still be trapped in the debris after two days. The incident occurred at a multi-storey boarding school in Sidoarjo, Java, where a section suddenly collapsed on Monday during afternoon prayers. So far, four bodies have been recovered, with approximately 90 individuals still unaccounted for.
Yesterday, rescue teams successfully retrieved two survivors, one of whom, a boy with a head injury, was promptly taken to the hospital and reported to be in stable condition by Emi Freezer from the National Search and Rescue Agency. Throughout Wednesday, tearful parents gathered near the wreckage, anxiously awaiting updates. According to school records, there are suspicions that 91 individuals are trapped under the rubble, as stated by Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster and Mitigation Agency in a late Tuesday announcement.
Father Abdul Hanan, whose 14-year-old son is among the missing, expressed hope that the trapped children could still be alive, as they were heard crying for help. He emphasized the urgent need to expedite the rescue operation, stating, “We are racing against time now,” while breaking down in tears. Investigations into the collapse are ongoing, with initial assessments pointing towards structural deficiencies and inadequate construction practices that failed to meet building regulations. Authorities indicated that the collapse was triggered by the foundation pillars giving way under the weight of new construction on the school’s fourth floor.