How 13-year-old Haikal survived Indonesia’s deadly boarding school collapse
Key Takeaways
- The Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed during afternoon prayers, trapping many male students aged 12 to 18.
- Selendra Haikal Rakaditya, a 13-year-old student, was trapped for approximately 72 hours in an air pocket beneath the debris.
- The rescue was complicated because the only viable escape route was blocked by the body of a deceased fellow student.
- The collapse was reportedly caused by the weight of concrete being poured on an upper floor of the boarding school by construction workers.
- Haikal was successfully rescued after three days, joining about 100 students who managed to escape, though five students died in the incident.
Dewi Ajeng received a chilling message about the collapse of the Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, where her 13-year-old son, Selendra Haikal Rakaditya, was trapped beneath the rubble. Dewi rushed to the scene, enduring a frantic search across local hospitals before a video suggesting her son was alive focused her efforts on the collapse site. Haikal was found trapped in an air pocket with five other students, but rescuers faced a major obstacle as the only escape route was blocked by the body of a friend who had died. The complex rescue operation spanned three terrifying days, during which rescuers managed to pass bread and water to the trapped boys. Haikal was finally pulled out alive after 72 hours and rushed to the hospital, where his mother was overcome with relief. Authorities later confirmed that the collapse was caused by construction workers pouring concrete on an upper floor, leading to the building caving in.
