Indonesia school collapse death toll hits 67 as search ends

SIDOARJO, Indonesia - The search for victims of last week’s Indonesian school collapse ended on Oct 7 with the death toll climbing to 67, an official said.

Part of the multi-storey Islamic boarding school on Indonesia’s Java Island

caved in on Sept 29

as more than 170 students gathered for afternoon prayers.

“Entering the ninth day, we have concluded the search and rescue operation for the victims,” the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, Mr Mohammad Syafii, said at a press conference.

The agency’s operations director, Mr Yudhi Bramantyo, said rescuers on Oct 7 cleared all the rubble at the collapse site, scoured the area, and concluded it was very unlikely they would find more bodies.

“The total number of victims evacuated is 171, with 67 people dead, including eight body parts, and 104 people survived,” Mr Yudhi said at the press conference.

Mr Budi Irawan, the deputy head of the national disaster agency BNPB, said it is “very unlikely there are still bodies there”.

Only 17 bodies have been identified so far, according to the police’s Disaster Victim Identification unit.

The families of the missing agreed on Oct 2 for heavy equipment to be used, after the 72-hour “golden period” for the best chance of survival came to an end.

The collapse was Indonesia’s deadliest disaster so far in 2025, according to the BNPB.

Investigators have been looking into the cause of the collapse, with initial indications suggesting that substandard construction may have contributed to the incident, according to experts.

Lax construction standards have raised widespread concerns about building safety in Indonesia.

In West Java in September, at least three people were killed and dozens were injured when a building hosting a prayer recital collapsed. AFP