Deadly School Collapse Leaves Dozens Buried Under Rubble, Indonesian Officials Say

Rescuers pumped oxygen and water to students after their school building in Indonesia collapsed on Monday, killing at least three and burying dozens more.

The collapse struck Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, during afternoon prayers when workers illegally added two floors to an old prayer hall, according to the Associated Press. (RELATED: Insane Video Shows Bangkok Road Collapsing To Create Gargantuan Sinkhole In ‘End Of World’ Moment)

“The old building’s foundation was apparently unable to support two floors of concrete and collapsed during the pouring process,” provincial police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast said.

Three students have died, with two succumbing to injuries Tuesday at Notopuro General Hospital. At least one student required an arm amputation and two others underwent surgery for head injuries, hospital director Atok Irawan said.

🇮🇩 Searchers raced Tuesday to rescue at least 38 people still believed trapped after the collapse of an Islamic school building in Indonesia that has already left three dead, authorities said.
➡️ https://t.co/KBsNGwn3CO pic.twitter.com/gxW24QmDg9

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 30, 2025

National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said 38 students are believed to remain trapped. Crews rescued eight overnight but halted operations Tuesday morning after shifting rubble forced workers and ambulances to flee, according to the AP. Work resumed about three hours later.

“We have been running oxygen and water to those still trapped under the debris and keeping them alive while we work hard to get them out,” said Nanang Sigit, the rescue chief.

Parents crowded the site, some breaking down after spotting their children’s names on the missing list.

“Please, sir, please find my child immediately,” one father reportedly begged, clutching a rescue worker’s hand.

The century-old boarding school, known locally as a pesantren, houses more than 2,000 students for both formal schooling and Islamic study, the outlet reported. Female students praying in another hall escaped unharmed.