Sidoarjo, Indonesia— A structure that was being built fell on a lot of children who were praying at an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java on Monday. This was a really sad event. At least one male student has died and 99 others have been hurt in the collapse at the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School. Some of the students are still thought to be trapped under the debris.
Police, military, and rescue workers quickly started a huge search-and-rescue operation, working all night to dig through the rubble. More than eight hours after the building fell down, rescuers were able to get eight people out, but they were all frail and hurt. Rescue teams have also found more victims with the help of heavy machinery and sophisticated gear, which means the number of deaths is sure to go up.
A Disaster Happens Because of an Unauthorized Expansion
Jules Abraham Abast, a spokeswoman for the regional police, said that the structure fell down because it was expanded without permission and was unsafe. The building was initially a two-story prayer hall, but it was being unlawfully refurbished to add two more storeys without the right permits.
Abast said, “The foundation of the old building couldn’t hold up two floors of concrete, so it fell down while the concrete was being poured.”
Most of the victims were men since the female students were praying in a different part of the building and were able to get away before it fell. Survivors, teachers, and officials on the scene rushed to help right once. Many pupils had head injuries and shattered bones.
The rescue attempt has been made harder by the hefty concrete slabs and the parts of the building that are not stable. Nanang Sigit, who is in charge of the rescue attempt, said that teams were working hard to save those who were still alive. To keep those alive who are trapped under the debris, rescuers have been giving them water and air.
Families of the students are nervously waiting for news at neighboring hospitals and the scene of the collapse. Television reports have shown the awful scene of family members crying as an injured and dusty student was retrieved from the debris. This shows how tragic the occurrence was. Authorities are looking into the cause of the collapse and the events that led up to the building’s refurbishment.