The death toll from the collapse of a prayer hall at an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia has risen to 54, with rescue teams still searching for 14 missing students. Using heavy excavators, jackhammers and circular saws, and sometimes their bare hands, rescuers removed tonnes of rubble over the weekend to recover 35 bodies, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.
Search and rescue official Yudhi Bramantyo told a press conference on Monday that 54 victims had been retrieved, including five body parts, and he hoped the recovery operation could be concluded that day. The structure collapsed on 29 September at the century-old Al Khoziny school in Sidoarjo, East Java, trapping hundreds of students aged mostly between 12 and 19. Of those rescued, 97 were treated for minor injuries and released, while six remained in hospital with serious injuries.
Police allege that two extra levels were being added to the two-storey building without a permit, leading to structural failure. Construction expert Mudji Irmawan from the Tenth November Institute of Technology said the construction could not support the load while concrete was being poured for the third floor because it did not meet standards, causing the entire 800-square-metre structure to collapse. He added that students should not have been allowed inside a building under construction.
Sidoarjo district chief Subandi confirmed that the school’s management had not applied for the required permit before starting construction. Indonesia’s building code requires permits before any construction, with violations leading to fines and imprisonment; if death results, penalties can include up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to 8bn rupiah (nearly $500,000).
The school’s caretaker, respected Islamic cleric Abdus Salam Mujib, issued a public apology a day after the incident, saying it was God’s will and urging patience. East Java police chief Nanang Avianto said on Sunday that the case would be thoroughly investigated, including guidance from construction experts to determine whether negligence by the school led to the deaths.
