Rescuers in Indonesia concluded the search for victims trapped beneath the wreckage of a collapsed Islamic boarding school in East Java after recovering over 60 bodies, according to disaster authorities. Last week, the Al Khoziny school in Sidoarjo faced a tragic incident as structural issues led to its collapse during afternoon prayers, affecting many, primarily teenage boys. While most individuals managed to escape, the remains of all 61 occupants of the building have been located, in addition to seven body parts undergoing identification by the police. This marks the end of search operations for what was described as the deadliest disaster of the year. Mohammad Syafii, head of the search and rescue agency, officially declared the closure of operations at the collapsed Al Khoziny school site after the removal of debris.
Among the body parts being identified are severed limbs, as per Budi Irawan, the deputy chief of the disaster mitigation agency. The rescue teams utilized excavators and cranes to remove large concrete pieces while also employing tunneling techniques, calling out the names of potentially surviving victims. Al Khoziny is part of Indonesia’s network of more than 42,000 Islamic boarding schools known as pesantren, with only 50 possessing proper building permits, as highlighted by the public works ministry. The status of Al Khoziny’s permit remains unclear, with reports indicating a possible lack of authorization as mentioned by Sidoarjo chief Subandi last week.
