🔗 Share this article Disaster at Indonesian School: Death Toll Increases to 49 as Rescue Efforts for Lost Students Continues Indonesian rescue teams recovered numerous further remains over the past few days, increasing the official number of deaths to 49 after a religious building at an religious school fell down last week. Relentless Rescue Operations Underway Employing construction equipment equipped with jackhammers, cutting tools and occasionally their unprotected hands, emergency personnel cleared large quantities of rubble in a urgent bid to find the 14 students reportedly still missing. Emergency workers discovered 35 victims over the recent period alone, according to the government disaster agency. Chronology of the Tragic Event The building crashed down on top of hundreds of pupils – mainly boys ranging from 12 to 19 – on 29 September at the 100-year-old educational institution in Sidoarjo. Of those extracted, 97 were medically attended for different wounds and released. Six others suffered severe trauma and continued to be hospitalised on Sunday. Reason of Building Failure Revealed Law enforcement claim that additional floors were being added to the existing building lacking a permit, leading to building collapse. This has sparked broad anger over unpermitted construction in the country. “The building work couldn't support the load while the concrete was pouring [to build] the third floor because it failed to meet safety requirements and the whole 800-square-metres structure caved in,” said a construction expert from Tenth November Institute of Technology. The specialist also commented that pupils must not have been given access inside a facility being built. Government Response Sidoarjo district's chief verified the school's management had not applied for the mandatory authorization before starting building work. “Many structures, including traditional boarding school extensions, in countryside locations were erected lacking a permit,” the official said. Judicial Consequences Indonesia's building safety laws specify that licenses have to be granted by the appropriate agencies in advance of any building work, or else proprietors risk monetary sanctions and imprisonment. If a violation causes loss of life, this can lead to up to 15 years in incarceration and a penalty of up to 8bn local currency (nearly $500,000). Apology from Institution Management The institution's manager, a prominent Islamic cleric in East Java, delivered a public apology in a rare appearance a day after the tragedy. “This is indeed divine destiny so we must all be patient, and may God substitute it with blessings, with a result much better,” he said. “We must be confident that God will reward those affected by this tragedy with significant rewards.” Current Investigation Judicial investigations concerning religious leaders remain contentious in the world's most populous Islamic country. There has been no comment from facility management since the collapse. “We will examine this incident comprehensively,” East Java's top law enforcement officer said on Sunday. “Our inquiry also demands input from a team of structural engineers to determine whether failure by the institution resulted in the fatalities.”