Rescue Efforts Underway After Tragedy Strikes Indonesian Boarding School
A devastating building collapse at the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, has left at least three people dead and dozens more trapped beneath the rubble. Rescuers have been working around the clock to save students and staff who were buried when the two-storey structure gave way late Monday evening.
According to Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, at least 99 people have been rushed to hospitals, some with life-threatening injuries, while officials warn that the death toll may rise as search operations continue.
Students Trapped During Evening Prayers
The collapse occurred as more than 100 students, mostly boys aged between 12 and 17, had gathered for evening prayers inside the pesantren (Islamic boarding school). Officials confirmed that around 38 students remain trapped inside the debris.
Witnesses say the girls who were in another section of the school managed to escape unharmed. Footage broadcast by local media shows concrete slabs and twisted steel scattered across the school grounds, while anguished cries can be heard from beneath the rubble.
Weak Foundation Blamed for Structural Failure
Authorities revealed that the school building had structural weaknesses. Originally a two-storey structure, it had recently been expanded by adding two additional floors without adequate reinforcement. The foundation, they said, was not strong enough to bear the weight of the expansion.
Local officials also disclosed that the expansion was carried out without the necessary permits. The school management has faced criticism for negligence, while Sidoarjo’s regent confirmed that investigations are underway.
Challenges for Rescue Teams
Search and rescue teams from Basarnas, Indonesia’s national rescue agency, are struggling with the dangerous conditions at the collapse site.
“The building has taken on a pancake-like structure with stacked layers of concrete, leaving only small voids,” explained Basarnas chief Mohammad Syafeii. “While survivors may still be trapped, any movement of slabs risks endangering their lives.”
Heavy machinery such as cranes and excavators have been deployed but rescuers are proceeding cautiously to avoid further collapses. Specialised equipment is also being brought in to carefully lift concrete and open safe passages for survivors.
Survivors Share Harrowing Experiences
Some students managed to escape and have been recounting the terrifying moments before the collapse.
Muhammad Rijalul Qoib, a 13-year-old seventh grader, said he heard the sound of stones and beams falling before the structure came crashing down. “It got louder and louder,” he told local media, explaining that he sprinted outside just before the ceiling collapsed. He suffered injuries from falling debris but managed to climb out of the wreckage.
Another survivor, identified as Sofa, described seeing friends with broken bones and severe wounds. “There were lots of injuries. It was chaos,” he said.
Families of those missing have been waiting anxiously outside the school, many keeping vigil overnight in hopes of hearing news about their loved ones. One mother, Rosida, said her son Kaffa Ahmad Maulana is still missing. “I last spoke with him the day before. Nothing seemed unusual,” she said, holding onto hope. Another of her children who was also caught in the collapse is now being treated in hospital.
School Officials Respond
The caretaker of Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School, KH Abdus Salam Mujib, expressed his condolences and apologised to families. “This is God’s will,” he said, adding that he hoped “God will replace it with something better.”
However, his remarks have drawn mixed reactions, with critics pointing to poor oversight and lack of proper construction permits as major contributing factors.
Pesantren System and Safety Concerns
Al Khoziny is one of thousands of pesantren, or Islamic boarding schools, in Indonesia. These institutions traditionally focus on Quranic memorisation, Arabic studies, and Islamic law, but many also provide general education.
Unlike regular schools, pesantren fall under the Ministry of Religious Affairs rather than the Ministry of Education. Oversight is often weak, with many pesantren operating without strict regulation or consistent safety checks.
This tragedy is the latest in a series of building collapses in Indonesia’s education and religious sectors. Earlier this month, four people were killed and dozens injured when another prayer hall collapsed in West Java.
The International Labour Organization has repeatedly flagged Indonesia’s construction sector as one of the most hazardous globally due to weak safety standards and poor enforcement of building regulations.
Ongoing Rescue and Investigation
As of Tuesday, rescue operations remain suspended intermittently due to fears of further collapse. Teams are preparing for a more specialised operation to safely extricate trapped students and staff.
Officials say the investigation will focus on why the school expansion was allowed to continue without permits and whether negligence played a role in the structural failure.
For now, grieving families and the nation wait anxiously for updates, hoping for more survivors to be pulled from the rubble.
