Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesia Educational Institution Collapse Fatalities Increases to 54
Media Source
The death count from the structural failure of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals.
Numerous pupils, mostly adolescent males, had gathered for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when the building gave way while being renovated.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the country's most fatal catastrophe in 2025. Emergency workers are expected to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims trapped beneath the rubble by evening.
Investigation Underway into Structural Failure
Investigators are continuing to probe the cause behind the structural failure. Some officials indicated the two-storey building caved in due to an inadequate base.
"Out of all the catastrophes in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," stated a deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing.
The overall number encompasses at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but later succumbed in medical care.
Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns
The institution is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, lacking comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the school had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the manner the building collapsed, creating tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, authorities reported previously.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have recounted their harrowing survival stories with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old survivor described first "hearing the noise of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and more intense".
The young person immediately ran for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the roof.
