Rescue efforts in East Java bring hope as five students are pulled alive, while families continue to wait for missing loved ones. Image: Trisnadi/AP via CNN News.
(The Post News) – In Indonesia, a tragic school building collapse has left families and rescue teams holding onto hope as they search for missing students. On Wednesday, five boys were found alive beneath the rubble of the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java. Sadly, two others were recovered but did not survive.
13-year-old Syailendra Haikal, one of the rescued students, was gently pulled out from the debris and taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. His rescue brought a moment of relief during an otherwise heartbreaking situation. For days, emergency workers have carefully crawled through unstable wreckage, risking their safety to look for signs of life.
Ongoing Rescue Efforts Amid Dangerous Conditions
As the search entered its fourth day, officials made the difficult decision to shift from trying to save lives to recovering those still trapped. The building’s fragile condition, combined with recent tremors from a nearby earthquake, has made the work even more dangerous.
Families have gathered near the site, anxiously waiting for updates. Among them is Umi Kulsum, whose teenage son, Sulaiman Hadi, remains missing. Kulsum traveled from Jakarta to be near the rescue attempts in the hopes that her only child would be found. Many of the students were praying when the structure gave way, and most came from modest backgrounds.
Earlier in the week, rescue teams managed to speak with some trapped students, sending them food, water, and oxygen through narrow openings. A small tunnel was dug to reach them, allowing rescuers to bring out the survivors one by one. The final boy rescued alive on Wednesday evening was Saiful Rozi, who was reported to be in stable condition.
Now, authorities have begun using heavy equipment to clear the debris, a step that signals the end of manual searches. The number of people still missing has been adjusted to 59, though exact figures remain uncertain due to incomplete school records and family reports.
This school is one of many Islamic boarding institutions across the country, and construction work was underway at the time of the collapse. The incident has deeply affected the community, and efforts continue to bring closure to the families waiting for news.
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