Indonesian rescuers have concluded their search for victims of the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school collapse in East Java, with 67 people confirmed dead and 104 survivors, disaster authorities announced on Tuesday. The school caved in during afternoon prayers last week in Sidoarjo, a small town gripped by grief and confusion over the tragedy.
The disaster mitigation agency reported that 67 bodies and eight unidentified body parts were recovered from the rubble. Search and rescue chief Mohammad Syafii declared the operation officially closed after debris was cleared. Operations director Yudhi Bramantyo stated that it was highly unlikely any more bodies would be found.
Authorities allege that two illegal storeys were added to the two-storey building without a permit, leading to structural failure. Indonesia's building code mandates permits for construction, with violations punishable by up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to 8 billion rupiah (nearly $500,000) if deaths occur. The school's caretaker, Abdus Salam Mujib, a respected cleric, publicly apologised, attributing the incident to God's will.
Al Khoziny is one of over 42,000 Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, nationwide, but only 50 hold building permits, according to the public works ministry. The collapse has sparked widespread anger over illegal construction in Indonesia.
