SIDOARJO: Rescuers are attempting to dig a tunnel through unstable rubble to reach an estimated 59 people still missing under a collapsed Indonesian boarding school.
Part of the multi-storey school on Java island suddenly gave way on Monday while students were gathering for afternoon prayers.
School records indicated 91 people were buried under the debris, and at least five fatalities have been confirmed.
National Disaster and Mitigation Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari stated the number of missing remained around 59 as of Wednesday night, cautioning the data was dynamic.
Distraught families waited anxiously near the site, with local residents offering them shelter as the search continued.
Maulana Bayu Rizky Pratama, whose 17-year-old brother is missing, expressed his enduring hope for survival after waiting at the site for four days.
Rescuers successfully pulled five survivors from the rubble on Wednesday amid growing pleas from frantic parents to accelerate the operation.
Abdul Hanan, whose 14-year-old son is missing, reported hearing children crying for help from beneath the collapsed structure.
Investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing, with initial expert opinions pointing to substandard construction.
National Search and Rescue Agency head Mohammad Syafii described the operation as complex due to vibrations affecting multiple areas.
He explained the plan to dig an underground tunnel to reach victims, acknowledging the significant challenges involved.
The proposed tunnel would be only about 60 centimetres wide because of the building’s concrete columns, further complicating access.
Rescue teams are deploying thermal-sensing drones to locate survivors as the critical 72-hour golden period for survival concludes.
A search and rescue official indicated the operation could extend beyond seven days if people remain unaccounted for.
Local resident Ani described feeling violent tremors during the collapse, initially unaware a building had fallen.
Rescuers in orange uniforms were seen using snake cameras to search for signs of life beneath the massive rubble pile.
Rescue official Emi Freezer confirmed signs of life had been detected in several areas of the collapsed structure.
He noted that water and food were being sent in through a single access point, describing the main structure as totally collapsed.
The search operation faced additional complications when an offshore earthquake briefly halted rescue efforts overnight Tuesday.
Local charitable organisations have established support posts around the ruins to provide families with food and drink.
The national disaster management agency spokesman said the building folded after foundation pillars failed to support new fourth-floor construction.
This incident highlights ongoing concerns about lax construction standards across Indonesia, where partial building completion is common.
The tragedy follows another building collapse this month in West Java province that killed at least three people during a prayer recital. – AFP
