Death Toll Rises To 61 In Indonesian Boarding School Collapse

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The death toll from the collapse of a building at the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, has risen to 61.

Seven sets of remains have been sent to the disaster victim identification team, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said.

BNPB’s deputy for emergency management, Budi Irawan, told a press conference on Tuesday that attendance records suggest two students are still missing, and may be among the recovered remains.

“The area has now been flattened, and it is unlikely that any more bodies remain there,” he said.

Budi said that of the 167 people affected by the collapse, 104 survived.

Of these, four have completed treatment, 99 remain hospitalised, one did not require medical care, and two students are still unaccounted for.

The four-storey building collapsed last Monday afternoon while workers were pouring concrete on the top floor, burying students and labourers beneath the rubble.

Authorities have cited structural failure as the likely cause.

-- BERNAMA