Jakarta, Oct 7 (V7N) – At least 50 people have been confirmed dead after a school building collapsed in Indonesia’s East Java province, authorities said Monday night. The victims were mostly students aged between 13 and 19, according to officials from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
 
The tragedy occurred when the three-story structure of a private Islamic boarding school suddenly gave way during morning classes amid heavy rainfall. Local police said more than 150 students and staff were inside the building at the time of the collapse.
 
Rescue operations have continued for over 24 hours, with teams using heavy machinery and sniffer dogs to locate the missing 18 individuals feared trapped beneath the rubble. Officials said the search effort has been slowed by unstable debris and continued rain.
 
Basarnas spokesperson Hari Sutanto stated that 72 people were rescued, 23 of whom sustained serious injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals in Malang and Surabaya. Medical teams are treating victims for fractures, head injuries, and shock.
 
Preliminary investigations suggest that poor construction quality and water damage may have contributed to the collapse. Local residents reported visible cracks in the walls following last week’s tremors and heavy rainfall, but the school had continued its operations.
 
The Indonesian government has deployed army engineers to assist with recovery and ordered a nationwide inspection of aging school buildings, particularly in earthquake-prone areas.
 
President Joko Widodo expressed deep condolences to the victims’ families and vowed strict legal action against those responsible if negligence is proven.
 
Officials fear the death toll could rise as rescue teams race against time to find the remaining missing students in what has become one of the deadliest school-related disasters in Indonesia in recent years.
 
END/WD/SMA/