(MENAFN) Rescue teams in East Java, Indonesia, continue an intense search for students buried beneath the rubble of a collapsed school building since Monday, employing advanced technology including thermal drones. However, local officials reported Thursday that there are "no signs of life."

The two-story structure, housing hundreds of students—mostly teenage boys—gave way Monday, resulting in at least five confirmed deaths and around 100 injuries. So far, 13 individuals have been extracted from the debris, but two succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

Relatives, overwhelmed with grief, remained overnight at the school, hoping for updates as cries and shouting were reportedly heard beneath the wreckage on Wednesday. The National Disaster Management Agency has officially declared five fatalities.

The rescue operation continues at the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School’s prayer room building in Sidoarjo town, where approximately 59 students remain trapped under the debris, according to a local broadcaster.

As of Wednesday evening, the agency confirmed that 59 people were believed to be trapped, but efforts to detect survivors using thermal drones have so far been unsuccessful, media reported.

At a Thursday press briefing, Lt. Gen. Suharyanto, head of the disaster management agency, stated rescuers employed sophisticated tools to listen for life signs but found none. He said, "Scientifically, no signs of life were found," but stressed that if any indications emerge, the search will be intensified with caution.

Due to concerns that moving heavy concrete slabs might cause further collapse, heavy machinery was initially withheld. Suharyanto confirmed that rescue teams have now begun using heavy equipment to clear debris, marking a critical phase in the operation.

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