Death Toll Rises to 54 After School Collapse in Indonesia
The death toll from the collapse of a school building in Indonesia has risen to 54, according to officials on Monday, as search operations continue for more than ten missing individuals.
Part of the multi-story boarding school on Java Island collapsed last week during the congregational afternoon prayer for students.
Yudi Pramanto, the operations director of the National Search and Rescue Agency, reported in a press conference that as of Monday morning, “we have recovered 54 bodies, including the remains of five people.”
Rescue teams are working around the clock to locate the missing individuals.
Yudi added, “We hope to complete the search operations today (Monday) and hand over the bodies” to their families.
Budi Irawan, deputy director of the National Disaster Management Agency, noted that the collapse was the deadliest disaster in Indonesia so far this year, with at least 13 people still unaccounted for.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the collapse, but preliminary information suggests that failure to adhere to proper building standards contributed to the incident, according to experts.
Families of the missing agreed to the use of heavy machinery on Thursday, following the 72-hour mark after the disaster, which is typically considered the maximum survival time.
Loose construction standards raise significant concerns about building safety in Indonesia.
In September, three people were killed and dozens injured when a building collapsed in West Java.
