Overview

• Associated Press reports 37 dead after a prayer hall at the century-old Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo collapsed on September 30 during afternoon prayers.
• Rescuers are searching for 26 missing students; officials say recovery work is about 60% complete and heavy machinery is now in use after parental consent, with debris removal expected to conclude Monday.
• Police and a construction expert say an unauthorized expansion overloaded the structure during a concrete pour, and students should not have been inside an active construction zone.
• The Sidoarjo district chief says the school did not obtain required building permits; under Indonesia’s 2002 code, fatal violations can carry up to 15 years in prison and major fines, and police have opened a criminal probe with technical experts.
• Authorities say 95 students were treated and discharged for injuries, eight remain hospitalized with serious injuries, and only one student escaped unhurt.