Indonesia School Building Collapse: One Dead, Several Injured Rescue Underway For Trapped Students (Watch)

Indonesia: Rescuers in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, raced against time Tuesday morning to save students trapped under unstable concrete rubble after a school building collapsed. More than 12 hours after the disaster, teams continued their desperate search, providing oxygen and water to those still alive beneath the debris.

The tragedy has already claimed the life of at least one student, left dozens injured, and left 65 students unaccounted for, buried under the wreckage of Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School. Families gathered near hospitals and the disaster site, anxiously awaiting news of their children, as the grim reality of the situation became clearer with every passing hour.

Eight Survivors Pulled From Rubble

Rescue workers, assisted by police and soldiers, worked through the night to extract eight weak and injured students more than eight hours after the collapse. The search revealed additional bodies beneath the rubble, suggesting that the death toll is likely to rise. The trapped students were mostly boys aged 12 to 17, studying in grades seven to 11. Heavy slabs of concrete and unstable parts of the building significantly hampered rescue operations.

❗️ - At least 65 students are presumed buried under the rubble after a multi-story Islamic boarding school building collapsed in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, while over 100 were gathered for afternoon prayers 13-year-old student has been confirmed dead, with 99 others... twitter/UrqHsoWg50

- The Informant (@theinformant_x) September 30, 2025

Families Wait In Agony

Parents and relatives of the missing students gathered at the collapsed site and nearby hospitals, anxiously watching rescue efforts. Emotional scenes unfolded as family members cried out for their children.

“Oh my God... my son is still buried, oh my God, please help!” a mother wailed upon seeing her child's name listed among the missing.“Please, sir, please find my child immediately,” a father pleaded while holding the hand of a rescue worker.

A notice board at the command post confirmed that 65 students were still missing as of Tuesday morning.

Rescue Efforts Hampered By Unstable Rubble

Nanang Sigit, the officer leading the rescue operation, said that rescuers were providing oxygen and water to those trapped under the debris to keep them alive while carefully extracting them. Although heavy equipment was available, it was not being used due to concerns that it could cause further collapse. Several hundred personnel, including search-and-rescue teams, medical staff, and volunteers, were involved in the ongoing efforts.

BREAKINGSchool building collapses in Indonesia - around 65 students trapped under debris, local officials say operations underway.#Indonesia #BreakingNews twitter/5vL8MJsX6I

- Breaking News World (@WorldAlertHi) September 30, 2025

Collapse Linked To Unauthorized Construction

Authorities reported that the building had been undergoing unauthorised expansion. The original two-story prayer hall was reportedly unable to support the additional two floors being added when it suddenly collapsed during the concrete pouring process.

“The old building's foundation was apparently unable to support two floors of concrete and collapsed during the pouring process,” said Jules Abraham Abast, provincial police spokesperson.

Female students praying in another part of the building managed to escape unharmed, while male students in the prayer hall suffered head injuries, broken bones, and in one tragic case, death.

Casualties And Injuries

One 13-year-old boy was confirmed dead, and 99 other students were injured and taken to local hospitals. Some of the injured were reported to be in critical condition. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the collapse, focusing on the unauthorised construction that led to the tragedy.

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