Fatal School Collapse in Indonesia Traps Dozens of Students

Rescue operations continue in East Java, Indonesia, after the collapse of the Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo left dozens of students trapped beneath the rubble. The incident occurred on Monday while hundreds of students were gathered for afternoon prayers. Officials confirmed that at least five people have died, with scores injured and many more unaccounted for. Families remain camped near the site, anxiously awaiting updates as emergency crews work around the clock.

Teams from Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency (Basarnas) are navigating dangerous conditions as they carefully remove debris. The building, which was undergoing additional construction at the time of its failure, collapsed after its foundations and structural supports proved inadequate for the added weight. Authorities reported that survivors were initially located through small tunnels only 60 centimeters wide, where oxygen, food, and water were passed through to keep them alive until extraction.

Experts have emphasized the risks of destabilizing the wreckage during removal, noting that even minor vibrations could trigger further collapse. After several days of manual operations, the use of heavy machinery has now been authorized to accelerate recovery, though this marks the shift from rescue to retrieval.

As of Thursday, the number of missing students has been revised to 59, though uncertainty remains due to conflicting attendance records. Many of the victims were teenage boys from lower-income families attending the boarding school. Emotional scenes have unfolded at makeshift clinics, where the injured are treated outdoors, and at public gathering points where relatives cling to hope.

Authorities are calling for stricter oversight of building practices across the country to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

More video footage on the tragic school collapse can be seen below.