Rescuers are racing to pull dozens of students and workers from under the rubble of a school building that collapsed in East Java, Indonesia.
Three people have been killed and 99 others hospitalized, some of them with critical injuries, officials said Tuesday, adding that the death toll may rise.
At least 38 others, many of them teenage boys, remain trapped under the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in the East Java town of Sidoarjo. They had gathered for prayers when the building gave way on Monday.
The two-storey building had an unstable foundation and could not support the weight of the construction of two more floors, the disaster mitigation agency reported.
The girls were praying in another part of the building and managed to escape.
Footage on local media shows the collapsed part of the building significantly sunken, with large concrete slabs visible. Rescuers continue to search for survivors amid sounds of crying and shouting from the rubble, while relatives anxiously wait for news.
Rescue operations have been complicated by what authorities are describing as a pancake-like structure left by the collapse, making access dangerous. Rescue teams are utilizing specialized tools and preparing for potential further collapses.
Survivors shared their stories, recounting the chaotic moments before the building fell. Many students were praying inside when they heard the ominous sounds of the structure failing.
Authorities confirm that the management of the school did not obtain the necessary permits for the expansion work, compounding concerns about construction safety in Indonesia.
This tragic event highlights the broader issues within the country's construction sector, long criticized for poor safety practices.
