In a grim turn of events, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (BNBP) has announced the transition to heavy machinery in the ongoing rescue mission at the site of a collapsed Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo. The two-storey building, which was under construction with additional floors being added, crumbled on Monday, trapping hundreds of students, predominantly teenage boys, beneath its wreckage. So far, the tragedy has claimed the lives of at least five students, left approximately 100 injured, and left 59 individuals unaccounted for. Despite initial hopes, thermal drone scans conducted on Thursday revealed no signs of life beneath the rubble. Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by the unstable structure of the building, which collapsed due to an overburdened foundation. BNBP head Lt Gen Suharyanto stated that the team had cleared the area for silence in a desperate attempt to detect any signs of life but found none. The next phase of operations will involve using cranes and cutting equipment to remove concrete slabs, a risky move previously avoided due to fears of further collapse. The school’s management had reportedly failed to secure the necessary permits for the additional floors, raising questions about regulatory oversight. As anxious relatives continue to camp outside the site, authorities grapple with fluctuating casualty figures, a common challenge in the chaotic aftermath of such disasters.