Death toll from Indonesia school collapse rises to 37

SIDOARJO

The death toll from an Indonesian school collapse rose to 37 on Sunday, officials said, as rescuers recovered more victims buried under the rubble.

Part of the multi-story building on Indonesia's Java island suddenly collapsed on Sept. 29 as students gathered for afternoon prayers.

"As of Sunday morning, the number of recovered victims was 141 people. 104 were in safe condition, 37 were dead," national search and rescue agency operations director Yudhi Bramantyo said in a statement.

He added that 26 people were still missing.

The death toll included a body part that rescuers retrieved from the rubble on Oct. 4, Yudhi said.

The recovery operation was around "60 percent" complete, national disaster agency official Budi Irawan told reporters, adding that he hoped it would be concluded soon.

"Our hope is that by tomorrow everything will be leveled and we can determine the approximate number of victims who are in the rubble," Budi said in a livestreamed press conference.

Investigators have been looking into the cause of the collapse, but initial signs pointed to substandard construction, according to experts.

The rescue operation was complex because vibrations in one place could affect other areas, officials said.

But the families of the missing agreed on Oct. 2 for heavy equipment to be used, after the 72-hour "golden period" for the best chance of survival came to an end.