On Monday, hundreds of families waited in agony, not knowing if their sons were dead or alive. They were gathered anxiously at the site of a collapsed school. There should never have been anyone in the edifice, but safety protocols appear to have been ignored or never enforced in a boys’ school near Jakarta, Indonesia.
Multiple causes were behind the collapse. The building’s foundation was unstable and could not support the added weight from the new concrete floors. Further, the new floors being added did not meet engineering standards. The collapse occurred at the worst possible time when students were gathered for afternoon prayers. The building was still in use during construction. A strong 6.5 magnitude earthquake occurred nearby, complicating rescue efforts. The expansion was unauthorized and unpermitted.
Three bodies have been recovered so far, and 91 people have been listed as missing. In hopes that many are still alive under the rubble, rescuers have lowered water. For fear of causing additional destruction and loss of life, they are not using heavy equipment. Parents are staying at the site and keeping watch, day and night. The world, too, is anxiously waiting and praying for the missing children, hoping that those trapped will soon be rescued.
Let us pray for:
The victims to be alive under the rubble, and that they will be rescued (The Bible, Romans 5:3-5).
Rescuers to have access to the latest and best devices to successfully find and rescue the victims (The Bible, 1 Samuel 11:13).
Christian Believers around the world to faithfully pray for everyone to be pulled out of the rubble safely (The Bible, 2 Thessalonians 1:3).
The peace of the family members and the community (The Bible, Isaiah 26:3)
Source:
https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-islamic-boarding-school-collapse-7c78f4a02821e3331102205f2458f593
