Disaster at Indonesian School: Fatalities Increases to 49 as Hunt for Missing Pupils Continues

Indonesian rescue teams located dozens more bodies over the past few days, increasing the official death toll to 49 after a religious building at an religious school fell down last week.

Relentless Emergency Efforts Underway

Utilizing large machinery outfitted with demolition tools, circular saws and at times their bare hands, emergency personnel cleared large quantities of debris in a urgent bid to discover the 14 scholars allegedly still lost. Emergency workers found 35 remains over the recent period alone, according to the national emergency authority.

Timeline of the Heartbreaking Event

The structure crashed down on top of scores of students – mainly male students ranging from 12 to 19 – on 29 September at the 100-year-old school in Sidoarjo. Of those saved, 97 were treated for various wounds and discharged. Six others sustained critical injuries and remained under medical care on Sunday.

Reason of Collapse Identified

Law enforcement state that extra stories were being added to the existing structure lacking a permit, causing catastrophic failure. This has triggered broad public fury over illegal construction in the nation.

“The structural work failed to withstand the pressure while the building material was being placed [to build] the third floor because it failed to meet construction codes and the complete 800-square-metres construction collapsed,” stated a structural engineer from a local technical institute.

The professional also noted that scholars should not have been allowed inside a facility being built.

Administrative Reaction

The local district head acknowledged the school's management had not sought the necessary license before initiating the project.

“Various constructions, including typical school expansions, in rural regions were constructed without a permit,” the administrator commented.

Regulatory Implications

The country's construction regulations specify that permits have to be provided by the relevant authorities before any building work, or else owners risk penalties and jail time. If a breach leads to loss of life, this can culminate in up to 15 years in prison and a monetary sanction of up to 8bn rupiah (nearly $500,000).

Statement from School Leadership

The facility's administrator, a prominent Muslim scholar in East Java, offered a official statement in a unusual appearance a day after the incident.

“This is truly God's will so we must all be patient, and may God replace it with blessings, with a result more beneficial,” he said. “We must be certain that God will compensate those touched by this event with substantial rewards.”

Current Inquiry

Legal inquiries concerning Islamic scholars continue to be contentious in the largest Muslim-majority nation.

There has been no comment from institution administrators since the collapse.

“We will probe this incident in detail,” the province's top law enforcement officer stated on Sunday.

“Our investigation also needs input from a group of structural engineers to determine whether failure by the school resulted in the fatalities.”