Death Toll Rises to 60 in Sidoarjo School Collapse as Search Continues for Missing Victims
Sidoarjo, East Java. Search and rescue teams on Monday recovered 11 more bodies from the rubble of the collapsed Al-Khoziny Islamic boarding school’s prayer hall in Sidoarjo, East Java, bringing the confirmed death toll to 60.
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said that three people remained unaccounted for as of 6:15 p.m. local time, based on attendance records provided by the boarding school. Rescue teams also retrieved five body parts from beneath the debris, all of which have been sent to Bhayangkara Hospital in Surabaya for identification.
The number of injured survivors under hospital care has dropped to 99, as four have been discharged and one victim was deemed not to require further medical treatment.
Basarnas Chief Mohammad Syafii said the search and rescue (SAR) operation would continue around the clock until all victims were found and the site was confirmed clear. “We will declare the operation complete once we are absolutely certain that no victims remain under the rubble,” Syafii said on Monday.
Hundreds of personnel from Basarnas, the military, police, and local agencies are working in shifts using a combination of heavy machinery and manual labor. The process has been slow and cautious to prevent further structural collapse and avoid damaging nearby buildings.
Once the SAR phase concludes, post-disaster management will be handed over to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and other relevant ministries and institutions.
The collapse, which occurred eight days ago, has devastated the Al-Khoziny Islamic boarding school community in Buduran subdistrict. Many of the victims were teenage students who were praying in the school's prayer hall when the roof and concrete pillars gave way.
Sidoarjo Regent H. Subandi, accompanied by the local police chief and military commander, visited the site on Monday to oversee ongoing recovery efforts. “We hope the operation can be completed today, but if not, the target is to finish by tomorrow,” Subandi said.
By Monday afternoon, much of the debris field had been cleared, with only a small section of the compound still being excavated where rescuers believe several victims might still be trapped.
Local authorities have pledged to complete the evacuation as soon as possible to begin rehabilitation and support measures for survivors and affected families.
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