Indonesian rescue authorities made the tough decision on Thursday to start using heavy machinery to move large sections of a collapsed school, with no more signs of life from beneath the rubble and nearly 60 teenage students still unaccounted for three days after the building caved in.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Pratikno told reporters on the scene in Sidoarjo that the decision had been made in consultation with the families of those still missing.
Five students were rescued Wednesday by workers who tunnelled into the rubble using only hand tools. Pratikno said on Thursday work would proceed with extreme caution even though no more signs of life could be detected.
In any case, we will be very, very careful when using the heavy machines, said Pratikno, who only goes by one name as is common in Indonesia.
The structure fell on top of hundreds of people on Monday in the prayer hall at the century-old al Khoziny Islamic boarding school
