Rescue operations at a collapsed Islamic school in East Java became more difficult on Wednesday after an earthquake compressed the debris further. The building fell on Tuesday while students prayed in a ground-floor mosque beneath construction zones above. Three people died, and 91 remained missing as of Wednesday.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Sumenep, roughly 200 kilometers from Sidoarjo where the school collapsed. The tremor reduced spaces from 50 centimeters to just 10 centimeters in some areas, rescue official Mohammad Syafii reported. Workers detected signs of life but proceeded cautiously to avoid injuring trapped victims.
Authorities blamed weak foundations for the collapse, stating the structure could not support upper-level construction. Heavy equipment arrived at the site, but officials refused to deploy it for fear of triggering further collapses. The disaster agency confirmed the earthquake injured three people and damaged dozens of homes across the region.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Sumenep, roughly 200 kilometers from Sidoarjo where the school collapsed. The tremor reduced spaces from 50 centimeters to just 10 centimeters in some areas, rescue official Mohammad Syafii reported. Workers detected signs of life but proceeded cautiously to avoid injuring trapped victims.
Authorities blamed weak foundations for the collapse, stating the structure could not support upper-level construction. Heavy equipment arrived at the site, but officials refused to deploy it for fear of triggering further collapses. The disaster agency confirmed the earthquake injured three people and damaged dozens of homes across the region.
