The recovery of more bodies has lifted the death toll to 49 following the collapse of a prayer hall at an Islamic boarding school in East Java, Indonesia.

Rescue teams using heavy excavators equipped with jackhammers, saws and sometimes their bare hands, have removed tonnes of rubble in an attempt to find the 14 students reportedly still missing after the collapse on September 29.

Rescuers found 35 bodies over the weekend alone, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

The structure fell on top of hundreds of students, mostly boys between the ages of 12 and 19, at the century-old Al Khoziny school in Sidoarjo.

Only one student escaped unscathed, authorities said, while 97 were treated for various injuries and released. Six others suffered serious injuries and remained in hospital.

See Full Page