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The death toll from a collapsed Islamic boarding school in Indonesia rose to 14 on Saturday, as rescuers prepared to use heavy machinery to recover dozens of people believed to be trapped beneath the debris.
Part of the multi-storey Al Khoziny boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed suddenly on Monday while students were gathering for afternoon prayers.
The head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Suharyanto, told reporters that nine more bodies were recovered on Friday, bringing the total fatalities to 14.
“As of today, we are still searching for 49 people who remain missing,” he said, according to Kompas TV.
Rescuers plan to deploy heavy equipment to clear areas where victims are thought to be buried. “After the last victim was found last night, we are focusing on a large-scale clearance operation, with heavy machinery now entering the collapsed zones,” Suharyanto explained.
Residents said the collapse was so powerful that it sent shockwaves through the surrounding neighbourhood.
Investigators are still determining the cause, but early assessments suggest poor construction standards may have been to blame.
The rescue mission has been technically challenging, as vibrations in one area risk destabilising other sections of the site.
Families of those missing consented on Thursday to the use of heavy machinery, following the end of the crucial 72-hour “golden period” for survival.
Efforts were further disrupted earlier in the week by an overnight earthquake on Tuesday, which briefly halted operations.
