Indonesia: School building collapse kills student, injures dozens

A partially constructed building at an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia collapsed on students during afternoon prayers on Monday, killing at least one and injuring nearly 100, officials said.

The collapse occurred at the Al Khoziy Islamic Boarding School in East Java’s Sidoarjo district. Police, soldiers, and rescue teams worked through the night, pulling eight students alive from the rubble more than eight hours after the disaster.

Rescuers warned that the death toll could rise, as additional bodies were believed to be trapped.

Provincial police spokesman Jules Abraham Abast said the hall where the students had gathered was undergoing an unauthorized expansion. Originally two stories, the building had recently been extended to four floors without a permit.

“The old foundation was unable to bear the extra weight of the concrete and gave way during the pouring process,” Abast said.

Authorities reported one male student dead and 99 others hospitalized, some in critical condition. Most victims were boys, as female students were praying in a separate section and escaped unharmed.

Survivors described chaotic scenes, with injured students bleeding from head wounds and broken bones as teachers and residents rushed to help.

Rescue operations were slowed by heavy concrete slabs and unstable debris. Nanang Sigit, the local rescue chief, said teams were delivering oxygen and water to trapped survivors while working to free them. “We are prioritizing saving lives, though we can see several bodies under the rubble,” he said.

Television footage showed soldiers, police, and emergency crews using heavy machinery alongside manual digging in desperate attempts to clear debris. Families gathered outside hospitals and near the collapsed building, anxiously waiting for news. Some relatives broke down in tears as injured students were pulled from the wreckage.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the collapse, focusing on construction safety and the lack of official permits.

School building collapses are not uncommon in Indonesia, where lax safety enforcement and unauthorized construction often lead to deadly accidents.