Sri Lanka, October 2 – Expectations that many students might still be alive under the debris of a collapsed dormitory have transformed into despair as officials change their efforts from search and rescue to recovery operations.
Suharyanto, who leads Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency, stated during a press briefing on Thursday that thermal drones and other devices have detected "no further indications of life" at Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School.
The families of the missing students fell to the ground in the streets near the location and cried out in deep sorrow when they received the news.
Officials stated they would deploy large equipment to support the recovery operations.
Up until this point, they had refused to use excavators to remove the rubble due to concerns about injuring those still trapped.
Authorities have cordoned off the school, which officials claim collapsed while construction workers were pouring concrete on the fourth floor, as rescuers continue to carefully sift through the wreckage in search of the 59 individuals still missing.
However, even from hundreds of meters away from the location, the odor of decaying bodies was unbearable.
The deceased are "all dead," stated a junior police officer on duty at the location, who requested anonymity.
He mentioned that it had been widely believed for a long time that the majority of students who were inside the school had died.
Family members who have been staying at the location since Monday, when the structure collapsed, formed a queue at a temporary tent on Thursday to provide DNA samples in an effort to recognize their relatives.
Ahmad Ichsan, whose 14-year-old son Arif Affandi is thought to be stuck, wiped away tears and whispered a prayer while doctors from the nearby city of Surabaya got ready to collect a mouth swab.
"He has been attending the boarding school for two years and four months," Ichsan, hailing from Madura, an island located 33 kilometers northeast of Sidoarjo, said to Al Jazeera.
I sent him to school here in order for him to learn how to be a respectful son and remain loyal to his parents as well as his nation.
Ichsan mentioned that he learned about the incident from a parent of another child in his son's class.
"I arrived at the school right away. I have remained here ever since," he stated.
They have not located him yet, but I still believe he may be alive.
Late Wednesday night, five students were discovered alive in a pocket of air within the collapsed structure, raising hopes that additional people might still be rescued.
Those aspirations appeared more and more unstable on Thursday as the "golden window" — the vital 72-hour span mentioned by specialists as essential for locating survivors of the disaster — came to an end.
Five students have been verified as deceased, with over 100 individuals sustaining injuries.
Muhammad Sobir expressed his hope that his 13-year-old son, Nurdin, might still be discovered alive.
"By God's will, he will be found alive. I will remain here until they locate him," he said to Al Jazeera.
Nurdin, who came from the nearby island of Madura, had only been at the school for four months, Sobir mentioned.
"We selected this boarding school because it is recognized for offering excellent education. Nurdin is a fine boy, a very good boy, and consistently hardworking in his studies," he said.
Sobir stated he was unaware of the reason behind the school's collapse, but mentioned it was not his main concern.
"I'm not sure what occurred, but I can't focus on it right now," he stated.
I witnessed what occurred on TV. I was genuinely watching the news when it happened, and I came here right away, but no one has spotted my son.
Nur Fatria, Sobir's wife, also provided a cheek swab to the forensic team.
"I'm unable to describe the emotions I'm experiencing while taking this test," she said to Al Jazeera.
I'm still stunned and puzzled. I'm unsure of my emotions now. I've been here for four days.
Deris, a forensic police physician, mentioned that both parents of the missing individuals are being requested to supply DNA samples for comparison purposes.
"We collect samples from the mouth and then send them to the laboratory for DNA testing against the remains discovered at the location," Deris, who, like many people in Indonesia, uses a single name, said to Al Jazeera.
Next, we will collect DNA samples from the victim's bones or another bodily component to check for a match.
A 23-year-old former student named Hayyi mentioned that he is awaiting updates about his younger brother, 15-year-old Ahmad Suhavi, whom he last saw during the summer break several months ago.
"He mentioned he was returning to the school, and I wished him good luck," Hayyi said to Al Jazeera.
We are unaware of his location within the school, and we have received no information regarding his condition.
Hayyi stated: "My parents sent him to this school to acquire more knowledge, and to develop into a better individual." ALJAZEERA
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