The death toll from a devastating school collapse in Indonesia has risen to eight, after three more bodies were recovered on Friday from beneath the rubble, rescue officials confirmed.
Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office, said two children’s bodies were pulled out on Friday morning, followed by a third later in the day. This increased the toll from five to eight victims in the disaster.
The tragedy struck on Monday when part of a multi-storey Islamic boarding school on Java Island collapsed during afternoon prayers.
At least 59 people were reported trapped under the wreckage, with officials warning on Thursday that no further signs of life had been detected, raising fears of a higher death toll.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the collapse. Early assessments point to possible structural weaknesses and non-compliance with building safety standards, according to experts.
On Wednesday, rescuers pulled five survivors and two bodies from the debris of the co-educational boarding school in Sidoarjo, a city about 30 kilometers from Surabaya in East Java. Local reports indicated that the boys’ section of the school was the part most severely affected by the collapse.
Families remain at the disaster site, anxiously awaiting news of their missing children as recovery efforts continue.
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