Sidoarjo, East Java. Rescue teams are working tirelessly to evacuate victims after the prayer hall of the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Buduran, Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed Monday afternoon. Authorities say the operation is proceeding from multiple directions, excluding the rear of the building, where no trapped victims have been found as of Monday night.

East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak told reporters that the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) had checked the rear route but found no signs of trapped individuals. “Based on these findings, the SAR team is now focusing on other routes to accelerate evacuation,” Emil said.

He said all personnel involved in the rescue are conducting operations with extreme care to ensure the students’ safety. "Please pray that all victims can be safely evacuated,” he added.

The incident occurred around 02:40 p.m. local time while more than 100 students were performing afternoon prayer in the second-floor prayer hall. One seventh-grade student, Wahid, described the hall shaking before the collapse. “During the second unit of prayer, one end of the hall gave way, and then it spread to other parts of the building,” Wahid said. He managed to escape and helped fellow students evacuate.

Raden Abdus Salam Mujib, the head of Al Khoziny School, said the prayer hall had completed roof casting earlier Monday as part of a planned three-story expansion. He suspected the structure was unable to bear the load after the concrete was poured, leading to the collapse.

Dozens of ambulances remain stationed at the site, having already transported injured students to Sidoarjo Regional Hospital (RSUD) since the afternoon.

Authorities have not yet released an official count of casualties or confirmed the exact cause of the collapse.

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