A sad update to this previous post about the earthquake. A building at the Al Khoziny pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Sidoarjo, a small village near Surabaya, had initially collapsed, and then a subsequent quake worsened the rescue situation. News agencies now report that the death toll is over 60 people, most of them teenage boys.
This was surprising to hear, because Sidoarjo, in East Java, is much farther away from the epicenter of the quake than we are here, in Bali. Apparently there were problems with the building foundation, and there was ongoing construction in upper floors, which made it prone to damage.
It’s devastating news here in Indonesia, particularly for the pesantren community. Pesantren are a pillar of cultural solidarity in village life. They provide kids in rural areas with housing and holistic education, at no cost to families. My husband (E) is a lifelong santri (student), as well as our neice and nephew. We love pesantren. I can only imagine the grief they must be feeling over in Sidoarjo. The kids were in the middle of afternoon prayer when the earthquake occurred.
Praying for the victims and the bereaved. Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.
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