Nigeria TV Info — Search Intensifies for Dozens Trapped in Indonesian School Collapse

Sidoarjo, Indonesia — Indonesian rescuers are racing against time to locate 38 people feared trapped under the rubble of an Islamic boarding school that collapsed during afternoon prayers in East Java, killing three and injuring dozens, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The tragedy occurred on Monday at the Al Khoziny boarding school in Sidoarjo, located about 780 kilometres east of Jakarta. Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, reported that three people have been confirmed dead, while 99 others survived the collapse. Nearly 80 injured victims have been rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Rescue teams have deployed excavators and cranes to shift debris, but officials are proceeding with caution. Nanang Sigit, a local rescue official, noted that heavy equipment would not be used in certain sections due to fears that the unstable structure could collapse further, potentially endangering rescuers.

Outside the wreckage, distraught families gathered anxiously, scanning a whiteboard listing survivors’ names, as captured in footage broadcast by KompasTV.

Preliminary investigations point to structural weaknesses as the cause of the disaster. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said the building — still under construction — collapsed suddenly during prayers, burying students and workers under tons of debris.

The search operation continues as rescuers work against the clock to save those still trapped.