Sidoarjo, West Java (ANTARA) - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is prioritizing vital supplies, including oxygen and food, for victims with red alert status who are trapped in the rubble of the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes) prayer room in Sidoarjo, East Java.

Basarnas Head Mohammad Syafii explained on Wednesday that victims with red status could survive beyond the crucial 72-hour post-incident window if they receive essential supplies.

"Once the team can reach the victims through gaps beneath the rubble, as long as they have access to food, drinks, and IV drips, they can survive longer," he stated.

According to Syafii, trapped victims can endure beyond 72 hours because they are still showing signs of life and are being provided with oxygen, food, drinks, IV drips, vitamins, and medication.

Syafii emphasized that, according to Basarnas principles and the International Search and Rescue (SAR) vision, every life saved is priceless.

"Especially since the victims are children who represent the country's better future, we will continue to prioritize rescue efforts," he remarked.

He added that 379 personnel from 65 different offices have been deployed for the evacuation, demonstrating the government’s seriousness in handling the case.

Currently, the joint rescue team has located 15 victims under the rubble of the prayer room at the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School. Of these, eight are in a black level of consciousness, while seven are at the red level.

The team has successfully evacuated 11 victims, among whom three have died.

The Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School building in Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed on September 29, 2025, while hundreds of students were performing prayers in the ground-floor prayer room.

East Java Basarnas received a report of the incident around 3:35 p.m. local time, while concrete work had been underway since the morning. "It is suspected that a weak foundation caused the building to collapse from the fourth floor down to the ground floor," Basarnas Deputy for Operations and Preparedness Edy Prakoso said.



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Translator: Astrid Faidlatul Habibah/Fahmi Alfian, Resinta Sul
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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