Hope for hope for survivors after the collapse of the school building in Indonesia | Gallery
Posted on October 2, 2025
Indonesian authorities have deployed heavy machines to move massive sections of a collapsed school, with approximately 59 adolescent students still not counted, three days after devastating structural failure.
After consulting the families of missing students and detected any other sign of life under the rubble, the officials made the decision to proceed.
“In any case, we will be very prudent when you use heavy machines,” said the Minister of Coordination Pratikno, stressing that despite the dark perspectives, the operations would continue extremely caution.
The disaster occurred on Monday when the Al-Khoziny Islamic boarding school prayer in Al-Khoziny in Sidoarjo, eastern Java, collapsed, buried hundreds of people. According to officials, two unauthorized additional floors were under construction above the two-story building, and the foundation manifestly failed during the concrete spill.
Currently, five people are confirmed dead, more than 100 are injured and more than two dozen hospitalized for serious injuries, including head trauma and fractures. The victims were mainly male students aged 12 to 19 from the seven to 12th year. Students, who prayed in another section of the building, escaped.
As the 72 -hour critical window – when the chances of survival decrease considerably – have succeeded, nearly 220 workers continued their efforts on the site with pending ambulances. The arrival of many body bags, however, indicated the increasingly dark situation.
Suharanto, head of the National Agency for Attenuation of Disasters in Indonesia, has recognized: “We no longer consider the possibility that the survivors remained, but we will always be cautious”, while noting uncertainty about the exact number of missing persons. “We really hope that these 59 people are not there under the rubble.”
Hundreds of family members have maintained a constant vigil at school since Monday, sleeping on mattresses provided by the government in the corridors while waiting for updates.
Among them, Hafiah, whose son of the ninth year of 15 years, Muhammad Abdurrohman Nafis, is missing. “I cannot give up, I must believe that my son is still alive, he is a hyperactive boy … He is very strong,” she said, remembering how much he had eaten his favorite Satay rice during his visit one day before collapse. As his diploma diploma approached, Nafis had planned to study mechanical engineering in high school.
“I cannot give up because the rescue team is currently trying to help our children to go out,” added Hafiah, expressing his deep helplessness.
