SIDOARJO: Rescue workers extracted a survivor from the wreckage of a collapsed Indonesian school on Wednesday while anxious parents demanded an accelerated search for dozens more believed trapped.
Part of the multi-storey school on Java island suddenly gave way on Monday as students assembled for afternoon prayers.
Rescuers confirmed retrieving one survivor and a fourth body from the ruined structure on Wednesday without providing further details.
National Disaster and Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari stated that school records indicate 91 individuals are suspected buried under the rubble.
Tearful parents gathered near the ruins throughout Wednesday desperately awaiting news about their children.
Father Abdul Hanan expressed his belief that missing children remain alive because they were heard crying for help and urged rescuers to accelerate their operation.
The 45-year-old father of a missing 14-year-old son emphasised they are racing against time before breaking down in tears.
Nearby, Dewi Sulistiana waited for updates about her 14-year-old son whom she last contacted on Sunday before the boarding school’s phone restrictions took effect.
She rushed to the scene from Surabaya dozens of kilometres away after hearing about the collapse and has maintained vigil for days.
Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, described the complex rescue operation requiring careful underground tunnelling to avoid causing further collapses.
Rescuers face significant challenges including potential landslides and must work through tunnels only 60 centimetres wide due to concrete columns.
Thermal-sensing drones and snake cameras are being deployed to locate survivors as the critical 72-hour golden period for survival approaches its end.
National Search and Rescue Agency official Emi Freezer confirmed detecting signs of life in seven different areas within the rubble.
Water and food are being sent to trapped individuals through a single access point because the main structure has completely collapsed.
An overnight offshore earthquake temporarily halted rescue efforts, further complicating the operation.
Local charitable organisations have established support posts around the ruins providing families with food and drink.
Local resident Ani described feeling vibrations and hearing noise during the collapse that initially prompted her to run for safety without realising a building had fallen.
Investigations continue into the collapse cause with initial evidence pointing to structural issues and substandard construction practices.
The national disaster management agency spokesman attributed the collapse to foundation pillars failing to support new fourth-floor construction weight.
Lax construction standards raise ongoing concerns about building safety throughout Indonesia where partial construction is common.
Earlier this month, three people died and dozens were injured when another building hosting a prayer recital collapsed in West Java province. – AFP