There are no signs of life under the wreckage of a collapsed Indonesian school where 59 people are still missing, rescuers have said.
Hundreds of students, most of them teenage boys, were inside the two-storey Islamic boarding school in the town of Sidoarjo when it collapsed on Monday. At least five students were killed and about 100 injured, officials said.
Thirteen people have been freed from the debris since rescue efforts began, though two later died in hospital. Rescue operations had been challenging due to the unstable structure of the building.
On Thursday, the disaster mitigation agency (BNBP) said rescuers using thermal drones failed to detect signs of life from the rubble.
Last night, we even [cleared] the area to ensure silence. [We] hoped that with the use of sophisticated equipment... we might hear some signs of life, Lt Gen Suharyanto, the head of the BNBP said at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
Scientifically, no signs of life were found.
Rescue teams are now moving onto the next phase of operations, involving heavy equipment to remove concrete slabs, which had previously posed risks to potential survivors.
Authorities had reported hearing cries and shouts from under the rubble earlier in the week, providing a glimmer of hope for family members waiting anxiously for news.
Anxious families remain at the site, many of them heartbroken yet hopeful. I am hoping for the best news, that my brother survives, said Maulana Bayu Rizky Pratama, whose 17-year-old brother is missing.
The collapsed building was under construction, with two additional floors being added. The local governance has confirmed that permits for these additions were not obtained, leading to instability in the structure.
