A woman is consoled as she breaks down in tears amid rescue operations following the collapse of a building at an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, on September 29, 2025.
Trisnadi/AP
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Trisnadi/AP
SIDOARJO, Indonesia – Emergency teams urgently delivered oxygen and water to students trapped beneath the unstable debris of a collapsed school building in Indonesia, as they tirelessly searched for survivors on Tuesday, a day after the disaster. The tragedy claimed at least three young lives, injured over 100 individuals, and left dozens feared buried under the wreckage.
Throughout the night, rescue personnel, law enforcement, and military forces worked relentlessly, extracting eight fragile survivors more than eight hours after the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School building in Sidoarjo, East Java, gave way. The discovery of additional bodies suggested the death toll could increase.
Operations were briefly halted at 10:15 a.m. when the unstable concrete shifted unexpectedly, prompting everyone nearby to flee in fear of another collapse. Rescuers cautioned all onlookers and emergency vehicles, including numerous ambulances stationed close by, to maintain a safe distance. Search efforts recommenced around 1:45 p.m.
The affected students, primarily boys aged 12 to 18, were enrolled in grades seven through eleven.
Families in anguish
Relatives gathered anxiously at hospitals and near the disaster site, desperate for updates. A list posted at the school on Tuesday morning identified 65 students as missing. By midday, Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency, updated the number of presumed trapped individuals to 38.
“My son is still trapped, please help!” a mother sobbed uncontrollably upon seeing her child’s name on the missing list, joined by the heart-wrenching cries of other parents facing similar fears.
“Please, find my child quickly,” pleaded a father, clutching the hand of a rescue worker.
Search and rescue leader Nanang Sigit explained that heavy concrete slabs and unstable debris complicated the recovery efforts. Although heavy machinery was available, it was withheld to avoid triggering further collapses.
“We are supplying oxygen and water to those still trapped beneath the rubble, striving to keep them alive as we work to free them,” Sigit said. While several bodies have been spotted under the debris, the priority remains rescuing survivors.
Hundreds of rescuers equipped with breathing apparatus, extraction tools, and medical supplies are engaged in the ongoing operation.
A historic Islamic boarding school
In Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, Islamic boarding schools-known locally as “pesantren”-play a vital role in religious education. Students, called “santri,” live on campus, combining formal studies with intensive Islamic teachings, returning home only during holidays.
According to 2024 government data, Indonesia hosts over 42,400 pesantren, educating approximately 3.4 million santri with the support of 370,000 Islamic educators and preachers.
Al Khoziny, named after the esteemed East Javanese scholar K.H. Raden Khozin Khoiruddi, is also referred to as the Buduran Islamic Boarding School, after its location in Buduran village, Sidoarjo district. It is the oldest pesantren in the province, with records showing students attending as early as 1920, before its formal establishment in 1927.
Currently, more than 2,000 santri study at Al Khoziny, ranging from junior high to university levels.
Casualties and injuries
The collapse occurred while students were performing afternoon prayers in a building undergoing unauthorized expansion, according to provincial police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast.
Local residents, teachers, and staff rushed to aid injured students, many suffering from head trauma and fractures. Female students, who were praying in a separate section of the building, escaped unharmed, survivors reported.
On Monday, a 13-year-old boy was found deceased, and 102 students and staff were hospitalized with injuries, some critical, Muhari stated. By Tuesday, 75 students and two teachers remained under medical care.
Two male students succumbed to their injuries on Tuesday at Notopuro General Hospital, according to hospital director Atok Irawan. These two were among the eleven initially rescued alive from the debris.
One student required arm amputation, while two others underwent surgery for severe head injuries, Irawan added.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse. Abast noted that the original prayer hall was a two-story structure, but two additional floors were being added without official approval.
“The foundation of the old building was evidently insufficient to support the extra concrete floors, leading to the collapse during the pouring process,” Abast explained.
