Rescuers clawed through unstable slabs of concrete and twisted steel in East Java on Tuesday, racing to free dozens of students still believed trapped beneath a collapsed Islamic boarding school, as anguished families looked on, some praying, others sobbing in despair.
The disaster struck Monday afternoon at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, about 480 miles east of Jakarta, where students had gathered for prayers inside a four-story hall.
Without warning, the upper levels gave way, crushing worshippers below.
By Tuesday evening, officials confirmed at least three dead and more than 100 injured, many of them boys between ages 12 and 18. Rescuers said 38 people were still unaccounted for.
Hundreds of emergency workers – police, soldiers, firefighters, and volunteers – worked through the night, pulling survivors from the ruins. Eight boys were dragged out alive more than eight hours after the collapse, battered but breathing.
“We are channeling oxygen and water to those still trapped to keep them alive while we dig carefully,” said Nanang Sigit, who is leading the local search effort. “We have seen bodies, but our priority is saving those we can still reach.”
Heavy machinery, including cranes and excavators, was parked at the site but largely idle. Officials feared the vibrations could bring down what remained of the buckled structure. Instead, rescuers worked by hand, crawling through narrow spaces and using cutting tools under the constant risk of secondary collapse.
The operation briefly halted Tuesday morning when the debris shifted suddenly, shaking violently. Rescuers and families sprinted away from the wreckage in panic before cautiously resuming work hours later.
Outside, the grief was unbearable. Parents clustered around a whiteboard listing survivors’ names, scanning for their children. Some collapsed when they saw loved ones missing.
“Oh my God... my son is still buried, oh my God, please help!” wailed one mother, her cries joined by others who feared the same fate. A father grasped the hand of a rescuer, begging him to bring his child out alive.
Hospitals nearby overflowed with the injured – many with fractured bones, head trauma, and crushed limbs. Doctors said at least one boy had his arm amputated, and others underwent emergency surgery.
“We received 11 students last night, but two died in the emergency room,” said Dr. Atok Irawan, head of a Sidoarjo hospital. “The injuries are severe. We are doing everything we can.”
The hall, originally built as a two-story prayer space, was undergoing an expansion when it collapsed. Provincial police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast said the construction was unauthorized and dangerously overloaded the foundation.
“The old building’s base was not designed to hold two extra floors of concrete,” Abast said. “The collapse occurred during the pouring process.”
Indonesia has long faced scrutiny over its construction standards, where weak enforcement and corner-cutting frequently lead to tragedies. Earlier this month, a building in West Java hosting a prayer recital collapsed, killing three.
The collapse devastated one of East Java’s most respected Islamic schools.
Founded in 1927, Al Khoziny is the oldest of more than 7,000 pesantrens in the province. Named after cleric K.H. Raden Khozin Khoiruddi, it has educated generations of scholars and serves more than 2,000 students today, from junior high to college level.
Pesantrens are central to Indonesia’s religious and cultural life, with more than 42,000 registered across the country, educating 3.4 million students known as santri. Unlike public schools, students live on campus, combining secular lessons with intensive Islamic study, and return home only during holidays.
At Al Khoziny, boys and girls usually pray in separate halls. Survivors said female students, gathered in another wing, escaped unscathed. The boys, in grades seven through eleven, were less fortunate.
Officials warned the toll could rise sharply, with many still feared buried.
“We are working around the clock,” Syafii, head of Indonesia’s national search agency, told reporters. “We will not stop until we find everyone.”
