SIDULJO, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers worked desperately to free survivors on Tuesday the day after the building fell, causing them to flush oxygen and water over students trapped in unstable concrete tile bleeds in Indonesia’s collapsed school buildings. It is estimated that at least three students have died, more than 100 people have been injured and dozens have been buried in Kura Rub.
Rescuers, police and soldiers who dug up in the middle of the night pulled out eight weak survivors more than eight hours after the collapse at the Arkozyni Islamic boarding school in East Java town of Sidu Aljo. Rescuers see additional bodies and indicate that deaths are likely to rise.
The rescue operation was temporarily suspended as the collapsed concrete suddenly shaking. People quickly ran through their lives, fearing another collapse, as rescuers urged everyone in the area to avoid the building. Work resumed at about 1:45pm
The students are 7th to 11th grades, between the ages of 12 and 18.
Sad relatives
The family awaited the news worryingly near hospitals and collapsed buildings. A notification posted to the school complex Tuesday morning states that 65 students are missing. Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, revised the number of people estimated to have been buried in tiled ble by noon.
“Oh, my God… my son is still buried, oh, my God please help!” The mother cried hysterically at the sight of the child’s name on the board, followed by the cry of other parents whose relatives suffered a similar fate.
“Please, find my child soon,” he cried out as he held one of his father’s hands.
The heavy slabs of concrete and other tiled rubs and unstable parts of the building have hampered search and rescue efforts, said Nanan Sigit, a search and rescue officer who leads the effort. Heavy equipment was available but not used due to concerns that it could collapse further.
“We keep them alive while we work hard to run oxygen and water on those still trapped under the debris and drive them out,” Sigitt said. He added that rescuers saw some bodies under the roof rub but are focused on saving those who are still alive.
Hundreds of rescuers were involved in this effort and had equipment for breathing, escape, medical evacuation and other support tools.
Islamic boarding school a century ago
Islamic boarding schools are commonly referred to as “Pesantren” in Indonesia, and are the most populous Muslim nation in the world, and are students known as “Santri.” Unlike public school students, the dormitory Santori committees focus on Islamic religious knowledge, apart from studying formal education, and return home only during school holidays.
Government data showed more than 42,400 Pesantorens in Indonesia in 2024, with 3.4 million Santoris and 370,000 Muslim teachers and preachers.
Arkozyny is named after the influential figure of East Java, Kh Raden Khozin Khoiruddi, and several prominent Islamic scholars study in schools. The community often refers to it as the Buduran Islamic Boarding School and mentions its location in Buduran village in Sidrujo district.
It is the oldest of the state’s 7,300 pesantrene. The first student was recorded as a study in 1920, before the boarding school was officially established in 1927.
From the middle school level to university, there are over 2,000 Santoris studies at Arkogyny.
casualties and injuries
Local police spokesman Jules Abraham Avast said the students were praying for the afternoon in a building that had been subjected to fraudulent expansion when it suddenly collapsed over them.
Residents, teachers and administrators assisted the injured student. Many suffered from head injuries and fractures. The female student was praying in another part of the building and managed to escape, the survivors said.
One male student, 13-year-old boy died Monday, causing 102 students and teachers to be injured and taken to hospital. By Tuesday, 75 students and two teachers were still hospitalized, he said.
Two male students died from injuries on Tuesday and are undergoing treatment at Notopuro General Hospital, hospital director Atok Irawan said. The two were one of 11 students, initially pulled alive from the tile rub, he said.
At least one student had to amputate his arm, while the other two had surgery for head injuries, Irawan said.
Authorities were investigating the cause of the collapse. Abast said the old prayer hall was two stories, but two more stories were added without permission.
“The foundations of the old building were clearly unable to support the concrete on the second floor and collapsed during the injection process,” Abast said.
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Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Jakarta Associated Press Writer Edna Taligan contributed to this report.
