Rescuers detected 'no more signs of life' at a collapsed Indonesian school where 59 people were believed missing days after it gave way, an official said on Thursday, raising fears no more survivors would be found.
Part of the multi-storey boarding school on the main island of Java collapsed suddenly on Monday as students gathered for afternoon prayers.
Five people have since been confirmed dead and 59 people were still feared buried under the rubble after days of rescue operations.
"We used high-tech equipment like thermal drones, and, scientifically, there were no more signs of life," said Suharyanto, the head of Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency.
Distraught families waited anxiously near the site for news of their loved ones. Many burst into tears upon hearing there were no signs of life, and one woman fainted, journalists saw.
Residents near the school opened their homes to families as they waited, while charities set up posts offering food and drink.
"I've been here since day one. I am hoping for the best news, that my brother survives. I am still hopeful," said Maulana Bayu Rizky Pratama, whose 17-year-old brother is missing.
"It's been four days, I hope my brother will be found soon. I feel sad thinking of him being down there for four days," the 28-year-old said.
Dewi Sulistiana, whose 14-year-old son is missing, said authorities had taken a DNA sample from her. "I want him found so we can bring him home and bury him," she said through tears.
Rescuers pulled five survivors from the rubble on Wednesday as parents demanded that they speed up efforts to find dozens of children they believed were still trapped.
Abdul Hanan, whose 14-year-old son is missing, said children trapped under the rubble had been crying for help. "The rescue operation must be accelerated," he said.
Suharyanto, who, like many Indonesians, uses only one name, hoped that not all of the missing were trapped under the rubble, citing a case where a woman mourned her son only to discover later that he was alive.
Investigations into the cause of the collapse in the town of Sidoarjo are continuing but initial signs pointed to substandard construction, experts said. - AFP
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