The death toll at an Islamic boarding school that collapsed in Indonesia has surged to 36, the nation's disaster mitigation agency reported on Sunday. Rescue efforts to locate 27 students still unaccounted for have persisted for seven days, hampered by heaps of debris from the fallen structure.

The Al Khoziny school in Sidoarjo, East Java province, succumbed last Monday afternoon, burying hundreds of teenagers in its wreckage during prayers. The cause of the calamity was attributed to a weak foundation unable to bear ongoing construction above. The use of cranes began after obtaining consent from parents last Friday, as rescuers strove to find any signs of life.

The search teams, aided by sensors, traversed tunnels formed in the debris, calling out the students' names without receiving r

See Full Page