Indonesia: Search Efforts Conclude at Collapsed School, Totaling 67 Deaths

Search operations to locate victims in the Indonesian school that collapsed a week ago concluded on Tuesday, with the final death toll rising from 63 to 67, announced a rescue official.

"The total number of victims evacuated stands at 171, including 67 deceased and 104 survivors," stated Yudhi Bramantyo, head of operations at the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).

"On the ninth day, we have completed the search and rescue operations for the victims," said Mohammad Syafii, director of the same agency, during a press conference. "We have also cleared away all the debris from the collapsed building," he added.

A previous report from Monday evening cited 63 deaths. Neither official confirmed whether there were still missing individuals. On Monday, a rescue official had noted that fewer than ten people remained unaccounted for.

So far, only 17 bodies have been identified, according to the police's disaster victim identification unit.

Part of the dormitory of the Al-Khoziny Islamic school, located in Sidoarjo, East Java, which has multiple floors, collapsed last Monday while around 150 students had gathered for afternoon prayers.

This is the deadliest disaster in Indonesia since the beginning of the year, according to Budi Irawan, deputy director of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

Investigators are now looking into the causes of the building's collapse, where construction work was underway. Experts suggest initial clues indicate that the building did not meet safety standards.

On the day of the disaster, one of the dormitory guards reported that the building collapsed while workers were pouring concrete for an additional floor.

Laxity in construction standards and site inspections raises concerns about building safety in the vast archipelago.

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