59 people still trapped under collapsed Indonesian school

Around 59 people remain trapped under the ruins of a collapsed school on Indonesia's main island of Java, a rescue service official said Thursday. [AFP]

Around 59 people remain trapped under the ruins of a collapsed school on Indonesia's main island of Java, a rescue service official said Thursday.

"Data updated Wednesday at 11:00 pm (1600 GMT) indicates that 59 people are still trapped under the rubble," Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster and Mitigation Agency, said in a statement, adding that the data was evolving as some people who survived the incident have not yet come forward.

Muhari said the figure was based on an attendance list released by the multi-storey boarding school, which gave way suddenly on Monday as students gathered for afternoon prayers, killing at least five people.

Rescuers pulled five survivors from the rubble on Wednesday as frantic parents demanded stronger efforts to find dozens of children believed to still be trapped.

Investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing, but initial signs point to substandard construction, experts have said.