Frantic rush to reach scores of students missing for days after boarding school collapse in Indonesia

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on CNN or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Indonesian rescue teams are racing to save scores of students trapped under the rubble of the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, which collapsed on September 30 during afternoon prayers
• At least 91 people remain missing, three have been confirmed dead, and more than 100 injured
• Six children have been located alive beneath the wreckage, with food, water, and oxygen being supplied as rescuers dig through unstable concrete slabs

🔭 The context: The century-old school collapsed as construction work was underway to add a fourth floor, reportedly without a permit
• The collapse caused all four floors to pancake on top of one another
• A 6.0 magnitude earthquake off Java the following day further destabilized the rubble, complicating rescue efforts
• Rescue operations have been hampered by the danger of secondary collapses, limiting the use of heavy machinery

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This tragedy highlights the urgent need for safer construction practices, stronger building oversight, and climate-resilient infrastructure in disaster-prone regions
• With Indonesia facing frequent earthquakes and climate-related risks, substandard or unsupervised construction places lives at heightened risk, particularly in community-built schools and public facilities
• The disaster also underscores the intersection of social vulnerability and environmental hazards.

⏭️ What's next: Rescuers are focusing on 15 suspected locations of survivors, using advanced cameras, heart rate monitors, and oxygen supplies to sustain those trapped
• Investigations have been launched into the collapse and unpermitted construction
• Officials, including Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister, have called for stricter regulation and technical supervision of school buildings nationwide to prevent similar catastrophes

💬 One quote: “Many Islamic schools are built through community efforts without adequate technical supervision, which poses serious risks,” said Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar

📈 One stat: At least 91 people remain missing under the rubble, while more than 300 rescue workers continue efforts on-site despite dangerous conditions

Explore carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies on Data Hub™ — the first platform designed to help sustainability providers generate sales leads!

Click for more news covering the latest on social responsibility