Jakarta: Indonesian rescue teams are continuing a tense operation to save dozens of students trapped beneath the ruins of a collapsed school in East Java, with hopes of finding more survivors still alive.

The collapse occurred at Al Khoziny boarding school in Sidoarjo district, after unauthorized expansion work weakened the building’s foundation. Initial reports suggested as many as 91 students could have been inside at the time of the disaster.

So far, at least five students have been rescued alive, while the confirmed death toll has risen to at least six, according to officials. Authorities say around 59 students remain unaccounted for, though numbers vary as lists of missing students are cross-checked with families.

Rescue efforts have been slowed by unstable debris and a recent magnitude 6.5 earthquake in nearby Sumenep, which compacted the rubble and narrowed potential survival spaces.

Teams are working by hand, using chisels and small tools instead of heavy machinery to avoid further collapse.

To sustain those trapped, rescuers are pushing oxygen, food, and water through small gaps while using thermal cameras and drones to detect signs of life. In one operation, seven victims were reached in a single day, with five surviving.

Officials said the disaster underscores urgent concerns about construction safety and building regulations, particularly in boarding schools across Indonesia. An inquiry has been launched into the unauthorized building work that likely triggered the collapse.

Families of missing students have gathered near the site, anxiously waiting for news. “Maybe there’s still hope,” one parent said, echoing the cautious optimism of rescuers who stress that every hour is critical.