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Indonesia's rescue teams found dozens further bodies over the recent period, raising the total number of deaths to 49 after a prayer hall at an Muslim educational institution collapsed last week.

Relentless Search and Rescue Underway

Utilizing construction equipment fitted with demolition tools, circular saws and sometimes their unprotected hands, rescue teams extracted large quantities of wreckage in a critical effort to discover the 14 scholars allegedly still lost. Search teams discovered 35 bodies over the past few days alone, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

Chronology of the Devastating Event

The construction crashed down on top of hundreds of students – mainly male students aged 12 to 19 – on 29 September at the century-old school in East Java. Of those extracted, 97 were cared for for multiple wounds and released. Six others experienced critical trauma and remained under medical care on Sunday.

Reason of Collapse Revealed

Authorities allege that two levels were being added to the existing building in the absence of a permit, resulting in catastrophic failure. This has provoked broad anger over unpermitted construction in the nation.

“The construction failed to withstand the load while the cement was being placed [to build] the third floor because it failed to meet standards and the entire 800-square-metres construction caved in,” stated a structural engineer from Tenth November Institute of Technology.

The professional also noted that pupils should not have been allowed inside a structure undergoing construction.

Official Reaction

Regional administrator verified the institution's administration had not sought the required permit before commencing construction.

“Many structures, among them traditional boarding school extensions, in countryside locations were erected lacking a official authorization,” the administrator said.

Legal Implications

The nation's building safety laws dictate that permits have to be granted by the appropriate agencies before any construction project, or else management face penalties and imprisonment. If a infraction causes loss of life, this can culminate in up to 15 years in incarceration and a penalty of up to 8bn rupiah (nearly $500,000).

Address from Facility Administration

The school's caretaker, a respected Islamic cleric in the region, delivered a formal apology in a unusual appearance a day after the tragedy.

“This is certainly divine destiny so we must all be steadfast, and may God replace it with blessings, with a result much better,” he said. “We must be confident that God will compensate those impacted by this tragedy with great rewards.”

Continuing Inquiry

Judicial investigations related to Muslim clerics remain sensitive in the world's most populous Islamic country.

There has been no statement from facility management since the incident.

“We will probe this case in detail,” regional police chief stated on Sunday.

“Our probe also demands expertise from a group of building specialists to ascertain whether negligence by the institution resulted in the fatalities.”