Indonesia ends search after deadly school collapse leaves 67 dead
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Indonesia ends rescue operations nine days after a school collapse on Java island killed 67 people.
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In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Monday, October. 6, 2025, rescuers remove the body of a victim from the rubble of a collapsed building at an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia.(BASARNAS via AP)
Authorities in Indonesia have concluded search and rescue operations at the site of last week's devastating school collapse on Java island, where at least 67 people were confirmed dead.
The multi-story Islamic boarding school gave way on September 29 while more than 170 students were gathered for afternoon prayers, trapping scores beneath the debris.
Search concluded
"Entering the 9th day, we have concluded the search and rescue operation for the victims," said Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), during a press conference on Tuesday.
Basarnas operations director Yudhi Bramantyo said rescue teams had cleared the remaining rubble and found no further signs of life. "The total number of victims evacuated is 171, with 67 people dead, including eight body parts, and 104 people survived," he told reporters, adding it was very unlikely they would find more bodies.
Budi Irawan, deputy head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), echoed that assessment, telling reporters it was "very unlikely there are still bodies there."
Police said that only 17 of the deceased have been identified so far, as forensic teams continue their work at the Disaster Victim Identification unit.
IN PICTURES | Rescuers searching for missing students after an Indonesian school building collapsed last week, recovered the bodies of dozens of students, bringing the confirmed death toll to 49.
— The Federal (@TheFederal_News) October 6, 2025
Read more: https://t.co/RbTDJ81NgS#BuildingCollapse #StudentDeaths #Indonesia pic.twitter.com/7YBlega5tw
Structural negligence
The incident marks Indonesia's deadliest disaster this year, according to BNPB data. Investigators are probing the cause of the collapse, with early findings pointing toward possible substandard construction practices. Experts have warned that lax safety standards and poor oversight remain a widespread problem across the country's rapidly expanding urban areas.
Rescue teams initially worked by hand for several days, but families of those missing agreed last Thursday to allow the use of heavy machinery once the critical 72-hour "golden period" for survival had passed.
The tragedy follows a series of building-related disasters in Indonesia, including the September collapse of a prayer hall in West Java that killed three and injured dozens, adding renewed urgency to calls for stronger enforcement of building codes nationwide.
