Indonesia School Collapse: 5 Survivors Rescued as Search Continues for 91 Trapped Students

On Wednesday, rescue teams successfully extracted five survivors from the debris of a collapsed school in Indonesia, while distressed parents urged rescuers to accelerate their efforts to locate dozens of children believed to remain trapped beneath the rubble two days after the incident.

The multi-storey boarding school in Sidoarjo town on Java island partially collapsed unexpectedly on Monday while students were gathering for afternoon prayers.

"Today we managed to evacuate seven victims, five of them were rescued alive, and two were found dead," reported Yudhi Bramantyo, operational director of search and rescue services, during a press briefing in Sidoarjo, located 30 kilometers from Surabaya city.

He added that "the five survivors were able to communicate."

With these latest fatalities, the death toll from the disaster has risen to five.

Throughout Wednesday, emotional parents gathered near the ruins, anxiously awaiting news of their children.

According to school records, National Disaster and Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari stated late Tuesday that "91 people are suspected to be buried."

"We believe our children might still be alive because they were crying for help," said father Abdul Hanan, whose 14-year-old son remains missing. "The rescue operation must be accelerated."

"We are racing against time now," the 45-year-old added, breaking down in tears.

While investigations into the collapse's cause continue, preliminary indications suggest structural issues and construction that failed to meet building standards, according to experts.

Dewi Sulistiana was waiting for news about her 14-year-old son, whom she last contacted on Sunday. The boarding school restricts students' access to mobile phones.

She hurried to the site from Surabaya after hearing about the collapse.

"I have been here for days. I cried thinking about my son," she told AFP. "Why is it taking so long to find him, why is the search so slow? I haven't had any updates, so I just wait."

Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, explained that the rescue operation is complicated.

"If vibration happens in one spot, it could affect other places. So now, to reach the spot where the victims are, we have to dig an underground tunnel," he told reporters.

The digging process presents challenges, including potential landslides. Any tunnel constructed would only provide an access route approximately 60 centimeters wide due to the structure's concrete columns.

Rescuers are employing technology, including thermal-sensing drones, to locate survivors and casualties as the 72-hour "golden period" for optimal survival chances approaches its conclusion.

AFP observed rescuers in orange uniforms apparently threading cameras beneath the rubble to search for signs of survivors.

So far, indications of life have been detected in seven areas, according to rescue official Emi Freezer from the National Search and Rescue Agency.

Water and food were being delivered, but access was limited to a single entry point. "The main structure has totally collapsed," Freezer stated.

Further complicating the operation, an offshore earthquake occurred overnight, temporarily halting the search efforts.

Around the ruins, local charitable organizations have established stations offering food and beverages to affected families.

Local resident Ani described the school collapse as so violent that it sent tremors throughout the neighborhood.

"I felt a vibration and then I heard a noise. I immediately ran to save myself. I didn't realize at first it was a building collapse," the grocery stall owner told AFP.

"Many people then also ran to save themselves," she added.

The building collapsed after its foundation pillars failed to support the weight of new construction on the school's fourth floor, according to the national disaster management agency spokesman.

Substandard construction practices have raised widespread concerns about building safety in Indonesia, where it is common to leave structures—particularly houses—partially completed, allowing owners to add additional floors later when their finances permit.

Earlier this month, at least three people died and dozens were injured when a building hosting a prayer recital collapsed in West Java province.