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Indonesia Boarding School Collapse: 37 Dead, 26 Missing in East Java

Heavy machinery now leads the search after the 72-hour survival window passed.

Overview

  • Officials report 141 people recovered in total, including 104 in safe condition and 37 deceased, with about 26 still unaccounted for.
  • The multi-storey prayer hall at the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, gave way during afternoon prayers on Monday.
  • Rescue teams shifted from hand clearing to excavators, sniffer dogs and sensors after families consented to the change once the initial survival window closed.
  • Preliminary inquiries cite possible unauthorized expansion and substandard construction, with the formal investigation still underway.
  • Identification has been difficult because many victims are minors without government IDs or fingerprint records, and aftershocks have complicated the operation.