SIDOARJO: The death toll from an Indonesian school collapse rose to 54 on Monday as rescuers searched for more than a dozen still missing.
Part of the multi-storey building on Java island collapsed suddenly last week as students gathered for afternoon prayers.
National Search and Rescue Agency operations director Yudhi Bramantyo confirmed 54 fatalities had been retrieved, including five body parts.
Rescuers continued working around the clock in the rubble of the Islamic boarding school.
Yudhi expressed hope to conclude recovery operations on Monday and return bodies to families.
The collapse marks Indonesia’s deadliest disaster so far this year according to national disaster agency deputy head Budi Irawan.
At least 13 people remain missing from the tragedy.
Investigators are examining the cause with initial indications suggesting substandard construction may have contributed.
Families of the missing agreed on Thursday for heavy equipment use after the 72-hour golden period for survival ended.
Lax construction standards have raised widespread concerns about building safety across Indonesia.
This incident follows another building collapse in West Java in September that killed at least three people during a prayer recital. – AFP