Search and rescue teams in Indonesia are racing to save dozens of people still trapped after an Islamic school building collapsed on Java Island, leaving at least three dead.
The incident occurred on Monday in Sidoarjo, where students had gathered for afternoon prayers when the multi-storey building suddenly gave way, according to local reports.
Families and rescuers crowded the site in search of survivors. “The number of victims is 102 people, consisting of 99 survivors, 3 deaths,” National Search and Rescue Agency head Mohammad Syafii confirmed, adding that efforts were ongoing to save those feared buried under the rubble.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Abdul Muhari said about 38 people were still believed to be trapped. Meanwhile, Atok Irawan, head of a local hospital in Sidoarjo, told reporters that two victims died on Tuesday while receiving treatment in the emergency room.
The tragedy has once again drawn attention to poor construction standards in Indonesia. Earlier this month, a similar collapse during a prayer recital in West Java left at least three people dead and several others injured.
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