Sidoarjo. Doctors performed an emergency amputation on an 18-year-old student trapped beneath rubble after a prayer hall collapsed at an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, saving his life as rescuers continued searching for dozens of missing students.

The procedure was carried out at the site by doctors from RSUD Notopuro before the victim was transferred to intensive care. “The situation was tense, but saving the patient’s life was our top priority,” said Dr. Atok Irawan, director of Notopuro Public Hospital, on Tuesday.

Panic swept through Pondok Pesantren Al-Khoziny in Buduran, Sidoarjo, on Monday afternoon when the prayer hall suddenly collapsed during afternoon prayers attended by about 140 students.

Basarnas Surabaya reported that 102 students managed to evacuate or escape, while an estimated 38 others may still be unaccounted for. Officials cautioned that the number remains uncertain, as some students may have gone straight home after the incident.

Rescue teams worked overnight amid the debris, navigating narrow and unstable passages to search for survivors. “The condition of the building is fragile and risks further collapse, so we rely on manual methods,” a Basarnas spokesperson said.

More than 40 students were treated at hospitals, with most already discharged. Eight remain under treatment, while three fatalities have been confirmed, including one at RS Siti Hajar Sidoarjo.

Survivors recalled moments of chaos. “I felt the floor shaking, and suddenly everything collapsed. Everyone was panicking, shouting, trying to run,” said Wahid, a student who escaped uninjured.

As families gathered outside the site, prayers and cries for help filled the night air, underscoring the gravity of the tragedy. Rescue efforts continue as authorities race against time to locate possible survivors beneath the rubble.

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