Indonesia Boarding School Collapse Kills At Least 63

At least 63 people have been killed after part of the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed while students were gathered for afternoon prayers. Rescuers continued recovery operations a week after the incident, using excavators, jackhammers and other heavy equipment to clear rubble and pull more remains as several children remained missing. Early investigations and expert statements indicate substandard construction and unauthorized additions—pouring concrete onto upper floors led to a pancake-style failure that the building’s foundations could not bear. Authorities have shifted from search to recovery and opened a criminal investigation amid public outrage over illegal expansion and lax oversight at many pesantren. The disaster has renewed nationwide concerns about building standards and has been called Indonesia’s deadliest so far this year.