Indonesia school collapse: Death toll reaches 37, dozens still trapped under debris

The death toll from Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school collapse on Indonesia’s Java island reached 37 on Sunday, after rescuers recovered more bodies. The multi-storey building collapsed suddenly last Monday while students were gathered for prayers.

“As of Sunday morning, the number of recovered victims was 141 people. 104 were in safe condition, 37 were dead,” national search and rescue agency operations director Yudhi Bramantyo said in a statement.

He mentioned that 26 people were still unaccounted for.

According to Yudhi, the death toll also included a body part found by rescuers in the debris on Saturday.

Budi Irawan, an official from the national disaster agency, informed reporters that roughly 60 percent of the recovery effort had been completed and expressed hope that it would be finalised shortly.

“Our hope is that by tomorrow everything will be levelled and we can determine the approximate number of victims who are in the rubble,” Budi said in a livestreamed press conference.

In a separate statement, Nanang Sigit, head of the local search and rescue agency, confirmed that the death toll had reached 37.

Officials noted that the rescue efforts were particularly challenging, as movement in one section could destabilise other areas. However, following the end of the critical 72-hour “golden period” for potential survival, families of the missing agreed on Thursday to allow the use of heavy machinery.

The exact cause of the collapse has yet to be officially confirmed, but preliminary investigations suggest it may have been due to construction defects and inadequate maintenance.

According to police, the collapse occurred in a part of the building that was reportedly undergoing unauthorised expansion.

While female students praying in a different section managed to escape without injury, most of the victims were male students aged 12 to 17.