NPN

Indonesia School Building Collapse: 3 students died and more than 100 were injured when an Islamic school building collapsed in Sidoarjo, Indonesia. At least 91 students are still buried in the rubble of the collapsed school building, Indonesian officials said. Officials said that rescue workers, police and military personnel are engaged in rescue and rescue work. The number of dead will increase During this time, the rescue workers also found more bodies, due to which the death toll is expected to increase. He said that even after 2 days of the incident, efforts to evacuate the students are continuing. Rescue workers have provided oxygen and water to the students. Officials said the rescue operation was halted for a while as a sudden tremor was felt in the collapsed structure. The rescuers appealed to the people Rescuers have appealed to the people present in the area to stay away from the building. Most of the students in the school are studying in seventh to eleventh standard and their age is between 12 to 18 years. Distraught relatives have reached the hospital or the place of incident after hearing about the incident. National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhri is giving an update on the ongoing rescue work to the bereaved families. An obstacle is coming in relief and rescue work Nanang Sigit, a rescue officer leading the search and rescue operation, said that heavy concrete debris and dilapidated structure of the building hampered the search and rescue operation. Heavy equipment is available, but is not being used due to fears that it might cause the building to collapse. Sigit said that hundreds of rescuers are involved in the rescue operation. He said, "We are delivering oxygen and water to the students still trapped inside the rubble so that they can stay alive. We are trying our best to get them out.'' The accident happened while offering Namaz Provincial police spokesman Jules Abraham Abast said the students were performing afternoon prayers in the building when the accident happened. Unauthorized expansion of the building was going on when suddenly it collapsed. Survivors of the accident said that the female students were offering namaz in another part of the building and somehow escaped. Officials are investigating the cause of the building's collapse. Abast said that the old prayer hall was 2 storeyed, but 2 more storeys were being built without permission. Abast said, "The foundation of the old building could not support the 2 floors of concrete and collapsed."