Indonesia school collapse death toll reaches 54 as search for missing students continues

Indonesian rescuers searching for missing students after a prayer hall at an Islamic boarding school collapsed last week recovered the bodies of dozens of students over the weekend, bringing the confirmed death toll to 54.

Using heavy excavators equipped with jackhammers, circular saws and sometimes their bare hands, rescue teams removed tons of rubble in an attempt to find the 14 students reportedly still missing. Rescuers found 35 bodies over the weekend alone, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

As of this morning, “we have retrieved 54 dead victims, including five body parts,” search and rescue officials Yudhi Bramantyo told a press conference, adding “we hope we can conclude the recovery today.”