Parents see tragedy, not fault, in Indonesia school collapse
Key Takeaways
- A building collapse at the Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, killed at least 40 students.
- The collapse was attributed to the weight of freshly poured concrete on the upper floors during ongoing construction.
- Rescue efforts are ongoing for approximately 27 missing students, though thermal drones have found no further signs of life.
- Injured student Muhammad Royhan Firdaus sustained a broken leg and fractured shoulder.
- Many parents are reluctant to blame school authorities, viewing the incident as a 'tragic accident' due to the high respect for religious leaders who run the schools.
A section of the Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed on Monday after construction work involving pouring concrete on upper floors added excessive weight, leading to a 'pancake' style failure. Student Muhammad Royhan Firdaus described the chaos as debris fell, resulting in him suffering a broken leg and a severely fractured shoulder requiring surgery. The disaster tragically claimed the lives of at least 40 students, with rescue teams still searching for approximately 27 missing individuals under the rubble, though recent thermal drone scans yielded no hope. In the aftermath, questions arose regarding construction safety while students were present, but many parents interviewed expressed reluctance to blame school authorities, considering it a tragic accident. Experts suggest this lack of blame stems from the deep, patron-client relationship and extraordinary respect parents hold for the religious leaders (kyai/ustadz) who run these vital community institutions.
