🔗 Share this article Catastrophe at Indonesian School: Fatalities Increases to 49 as Rescue Efforts for Unaccounted Scholars Continues Indonesian rescue teams recovered many additional victims over the weekend, bringing the confirmed death toll to 49 after a prayer hall at an religious school collapsed last week. Relentless Emergency Efforts In Progress Employing heavy excavators outfitted with breaking equipment, circular saws and sometimes their bare hands, rescue teams cleared large quantities of debris in a critical effort to locate the 14 students allegedly still missing. Rescuers discovered 35 victims over the weekend alone, according to the government disaster agency. Chronology of the Heartbreaking Incident The construction crashed down on top of hundreds of pupils – mostly male students aged 12 to 19 – on 29 September at the historic educational institution in East Java. Of those saved, 97 were treated for different wounds and sent home. Six others sustained severe injuries and remained under medical care on Sunday. Cause of Collapse Uncovered Police allege that extra stories were being built to the two-story building without a official authorization, causing catastrophic failure. This has provoked extensive public fury over unauthorized building in the nation. “The building work couldn't support the weight while the building material was pouring [to build] the new story because it failed to meet construction codes and the whole 800-square-metres structure caved in,” said a building specialist from a local technical institute. The expert also said that pupils ought not to have been permitted inside a structure undergoing construction. Administrative Reaction Regional administrator acknowledged the institution's administration had not sought the mandatory license before starting construction. “Many structures, such as typical educational institution expansions, in countryside locations were built without a permit,” the administrator stated. Regulatory Consequences Indonesia's 2002 building construction code dictate that permits have to be issued by the relevant authorities before any construction project, or else proprietors risk monetary sanctions and imprisonment. If a violation leads to fatalities, this can culminate in up to 15 years in incarceration and a penalty of up to 8bn Indonesian currency (nearly $500,000). Apology from School Leadership The facility's administrator, a prominent religious leader in East Java, issued a official statement in a infrequent public statement a day after the tragedy. “This is truly divine destiny so we must all be steadfast, and may God compensate with blessings, with a result far superior,” he remarked. “We must be certain that God will reward those touched by this event with substantial rewards.” Current Investigation Judicial investigations involving Muslim clerics continue to be sensitive in the biggest Islamic country. There has been no statement from school officials since the incident. “We will investigate this matter in detail,” the province's police chief said on Sunday. “Our investigation also requires guidance from a panel of building specialists to determine whether negligence by the institution caused the fatalities.”