Theresia Sufa, Jakarta – Authorities in West Java have pledged to inspect and reinforce substandard school building quality across the province after two schools collapsed in separate cities on Monday, leaving dozens of students injured.
At least 42 students from SMK Negeri 1 Gunung Putri Vocational Highschool in Bogor regency were rushed to the hospital after the roof of their classroom caved in during class.
Vice principal Karyadi said the incident occurred at around 2 p.m. following a torrential downpour accompanied by strong winds.
"The extreme weather caused a tree on the school grounds to fall and hit one of the classrooms. The impact damaged the building's structure, which then caused the roofs of four other classrooms to collapse," he said on Tuesday.
He added that no one was inside the classroom hit by the fallen tree, as students were attending lessons at the school's workshop. Some others were away visiting a local community health center for routine checkups.
One of the students injured in the incident, Dika, recalled hearing the sound of the classroom structure cracking just before the roof collapsed.
"First, we heard the sound of the tree falling. Then we saw the roof tiles sliding down, followed by the cracking of the classroom walls," the 12th-grader said.
He said he dislocated his shoulder while trying to brace himself as the roof came down on him.
As of Tuesday, five students remained hospitalized for treatment, while the others had been discharged, according to vice principal Karyadi.
Bogor Regent Rudy Susmanto said that while the incident was triggered by a tree falling during extreme weather, the school's structural design also contributed to the collapse.
"The school used a lightweight steel frame for the roof, but it was covered with heavy clay tiles, which added significant weight," Rudy said. "Last month, another school in Bogor with a similar structure also collapsed."
On Sept. 10, the roof of a two-story building at SMK Negeri 1 Cileungsi Vocational High School suddenly collapsed around 9 a.m., injuring 35 students.
An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident, but authorities suspect that the steel frame may not have been strong enough to support the weight of the clay tile roof. The building itself was constructed in 2016.
Bogor Regent Rudy Susmanto said authorities will carry out a thorough evaluation of school infrastructure across the regency to prevent similar accidents.
"The evaluation will focus on the areas most vulnerable to extreme weather. Construction experts will be involved to ensure the results are accurate and can serve as a basis for future school improvement policies. We cannot allow any more children to be injured because school buildings are unsafe," he said, as quoted by Kompas.com.
On Monday at around 11 a.m., the roof of a classroom in a two-story building at SMP Pasundan 1 Junior High School in Regol Subdistrict, Bandung, also collapsed, injuring six students.
Regol Police chief Heri Suryadi said preliminary investigations indicate the collapse was triggered by a problem with the building's structure.
"The incident occurred when two workers were removing bricks near the ceiling close to the affected classroom. The work caused the roof of the adjacent classroom to give way," Heri said as quoted by Kompas.id.
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi acknowledged that many schools in the province suffer from substandard construction.
"A major challenge in West Java is that many schools were built below the standard. As a result, strong winds and heavy rain can cause these buildings to collapse," he said.
He added that the provincial government plans to rebuild these substandard classrooms with safer, higher-quality structures as quickly as possible to ensure students' safety.