Sidoarjo, Indonesia — Rescuers in East Java are racing against time to free students trapped beneath the rubble of an Islamic boarding school that collapsed during afternoon prayers, killing at least three and injuring dozens. Their task has been made more perilous after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck nearby, tightening debris and narrowing survival spaces.
Authorities said 91 people remain missing, while more than 100 have been evacuated since the collapse of the Al-Khoziny Islamic school in Sidoarjo. The building’s lower floors, used as a prayer hall, gave way while upper levels were still under construction. Officials believe weak foundations contributed to the collapse.
“The quake reduced the gaps where survivors might be, making access extremely difficult,” said Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency. “If the space was 50 centimeters high, it has now caved to 10. That constriction threatens lives.”
Rescue teams, supported by cranes and excavators, are working cautiously to avoid triggering further collapse. Oxygen, water, and food are being passed through narrow gaps to those still believed alive beneath the rubble. Thermal drones and sound detectors have identified signs of life, offering hope to families waiting anxiously nearby.
The earthquake, centered in Sumenep about 200 kilometers from the site, also damaged homes and injured several people. Disaster officials stressed that the collapse was primarily due to structural weaknesses, worsened by unauthorized construction of additional floors.
With each passing hour, the chances of survival diminish. Yet rescuers remain determined. “We are racing against time,” Syafii said. “Every life we can save matters.”
Sources: Reuters, CBS News, Straits Times.
