In brief
Rescue teams are searching for survivors under the debris of a collapsed Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, where 59 individuals are reported missing. The incident occurred when the building, undergoing construction, fell with hundreds of students inside. Rescuers have faced significant challenges due to the unstable structure. Initial hope of finding survivors is waning as thermal imaging has shown no signs of life, leading to a more aggressive phase of rescue operations involving heavy machinery.
There are no signs of life under the wreckage of a collapsed Indonesian school where 59 people are still missing, rescuers have said.
Hundreds of students, most of them teenage boys, were inside the two-storey Islamic boarding school in the town of Sidoarjo when it collapsed on Monday. At least five students were killed and about 100 injured, officials said.
Thirteen people have been freed from the debris since rescue efforts began, though two later died in hospital. Rescue operations had been challenged by the unstable structure of the building.
On Thursday, the disaster mitigation agency (BNBP) announced that rescuers using thermal drones had failed to detect signs of life from the rubble. Last night, we even [cleared] the area to ensure silence. [We] hoped that with the use of sophisticated equipment... we might hear some signs of life, said Lt Gen Suharyanto, the head of the BNBP.
He added that the team had decided to move on to the next phase of operations - using heavy equipment to move slabs of concrete. Authorities had initially avoided this due to fears of further collapses that could endanger any potential survivors.
In Sidoarjo, anxious families are gathered around the school, waiting for news of their missing loved ones. Many remain hopeful, despite the grim reports, as statements from officials mention that as of Wednesday, crying and shouting could still be heard from beneath the rubble.
The building, under construction at the time of the collapse, was reportedly not authorized to add additional floors. Its unstable foundation later contributed to the tragedy.
As rescue efforts continue, the hope remains that some may still be pulled to safety from beneath the collapsed structure.
