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Death Toll Rises at Collapsed Indonesian Boarding School as Recovery Effort Accelerates

Authorities say newly added, unpermitted floors overwhelmed the old building's foundations.

Overview

  • Crews recovered three bodies on Friday in Sidoarjo, raising confirmed deaths to eight with 55 still missing, according to officials.
  • Rescuers switched from hand-digging to heavy excavators and jackhammers on Thursday after detecting no further signs of life.
  • The collapse struck during Monday afternoon prayers at the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school, with around 105 people injured.
  • Five students were rescued alive earlier in the week after teams tunneled about 60 centimeters through debris to reach them.
  • Police and disaster officials say the century-old two-story structure was being expanded by two concrete floors without permits, and authorities expect body recovery to finish on Saturday.