Basarnas Finds 3 Bodies Again At Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School

SIDOARJO - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) again found three bodies due to the collapse of the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes) prayer room in Sidoarjo.

Head of the Surabaya Basarnas Office, Nanang Sigit, said that three additional victims who died were found in a row in the afternoon, namely 17.15 WIB, 17.20 WIB, and 17.30 WIB.

"Thus, the total number of victims who were successfully evacuated today is eight people. So that the total number of people who have been successfully evacuated has reached 116 people," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, October 3.

He explained that of the total victims who were evacuated, 13 people were declared dead, with the discovery still in the A3 sector, near the A2 sector or not far from the previous point.

According to Nanang, the condition of the bodies of the victims who were found was still intact despite the swelling.

The evacuation process, he continued, was carried out by temporarily stopping the use of heavy equipment every time the victim was seen, then resumed after the evacuation was complete.

"Heavy equipment is not used to dismantle all the debris at once, but to open access to the point of the victim," he said.

The process of cleaning up the debris material has reached around 50 percent.

Currently, said Nanang, the search process continues in combination between the use of heavy equipment and manual methods, depending on conditions on the ground.

Nanang also said that the victim's family was allowed to witness the limited evacuation through representatives so that the search process would continue to run consistently.

"The victim began to be seen after part of the concrete was successfully cut off, so that access to light went into the collapse," he said.

Nanang also explained that the operation to demolish the building's ruins material and search for victims will continue for the next 24 hours, and is estimated to be mathematically completed Saturday (4/10) afternoon.

In the operation, the field team used various special equipment, ranging from the search cam flexible Olympus, Xaver 400 wall scanner, to the multi search leader.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has also deployed logistical support and equipment, including 200 body bags, 250 sets of personal protective equipment, as well as heavy equipment in the form of cranes, excavator machines, levers and ambulances.