Indonesia School Collapse: 59 Students Still Trapped Under Rubble in East Java

Rescue teams in Indonesia’s East Java province are racing against time to save dozens of students trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed school building. The two-story structure at the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo town caved in on Monday, killing at least five students and injuring around 100. While 13 people have been pulled out since the operation began, two later died in hospital, leaving families anxiously waiting outside the site for news.

Authorities revealed that some 59 students remain trapped beneath the ruins of the school’s prayer room. Earlier in the week, crying and shouting were reportedly heard from under the debris, but rescuers using thermal drones and advanced equipment have since detected “no signs of life.” The National Disaster Management Agency confirmed the death toll at five, while warning that the chances of finding survivors are rapidly diminishing.

Lt. Gen. Suharyanto, head of the agency, explained that heavy machinery is now being deployed to remove massive concrete slabs, a step previously avoided over fears of worsening the collapse. He noted that while no scientific indications of life remain, the search will continue with careful calculations. The tragedy has left the nation shaken, highlighting the vulnerabilities of school infrastructure in disaster-prone Indonesia.