Rescuers in Indonesia's East Java province pulled a child alive from the rubble of a collapsed boarding school in Sidoarjo on October 1, offering a glimmer of hope amid ongoing search efforts. Dramatic footage captured by CGTN Stringer showed emergency workers carefully extricating the student from debris as anxious parents awaited updates nearby.
Authorities confirmed at least 91 students remain unaccounted for two days after the structure caved in. Heavy machinery and manual labor are being deployed simultaneously at the site, with rescue teams working around the clock under challenging conditions.
"We're prioritizing areas where we detect signs of life," said a local disaster management official, who requested anonymity due to the ongoing operation. The cause of the collapse is under investigation, though early reports suggest structural weaknesses in the aging building.
The incident has sparked renewed discussions about infrastructure safety standards in Indonesia's educational facilities. As night fell on Tuesday, families maintained vigil at temporary shelters established by social services, their hopes pinned on the round-the-clock rescue mission.
