Indonesia search ends at collapsed school, death toll reached 67

Search and rescue operations at the site of Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school collapse were officially closed on Tuesday, October 7, with the death toll standing at 67, as reported by the authorities.

The tragic incident occurred on September 29, when the multi-story building of the school collapsed during the afternoon prayers.

It has been described as the deadliest single-building incident of the year. In total, there were 171 casualties including 104 survivors.

As stated by Yudhi Bramantyo, operations director for the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), “the total number of victims evacuated is 171, with 67 people dead, including eight body parts, and 104 people survived.”

Adding to the rescue operations, he confirmed that all rubble has been cleared concluding that there’s “very likely” that no more bodies would be found.

Why did the Indonesia school collapse occur?

The collapse of the Al Khoziny school has revealed a destructive national paradox of the invalid building permits.

After the tragic incident, Indonesia’s Public Works Minister, Dody Hanggodo, stated that around 42,000 pesantren or Islamic boarding schools have been built across the country but only 50 have valid 50 building permits.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the collapsed building had added two extra floors without a permit, overloading the building’s foundation.

The 2002 building construction code of Indonesia instructs construction permits and directs severe penalties for violations that lead to death including up to 15 years in prison.

However, the implementation of the law is notoriously weak. The outcome is a landscape where unauthorized additions, substandard materials, and non-compliant designs are rampant.