The death toll from a school collapse in Indonesia rose to 63 on Monday, officials said, as workers pulled more bodies from the rubble of a building that collapsed last week.
Part of a multi-story Islamic boarding school on the Indonesian island of Java collapsed as more than 150 students gathered for afternoon prayers.
Several children are still missing.
“We hope to finish the rescue today (Monday) and return the bodies (to the families),” National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) operations director Judi Bramantio told a news conference on Monday.
The collapse was Indonesia’s deadliest disaster so far this year, said Budi Iravan, deputy head of the national disaster agency (BNPB).
Investigators are investigating the cause of the collapse, but initial indications are that shoddy construction may have contributed to the incident, experts said.
Families of the missing agreed to the use of heavy equipment last Thursday, after a 72-hour “golden period” for the best chance of survival ended.
Lax building codes have sparked widespread concerns about the safety of buildings in Indonesia.
At least three people died and dozens were injured in September when a building hosting a prayer recital collapsed in West Java.
