Catastrophe Deepens as Indonesia School Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams continuing their search for over twelve missing individuals.
Hundreds pupils, primarily teenage boys, had gathered for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the structure gave way while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the nation's deadliest catastrophe this year. Rescue personnel are expected to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims ensnared under debris by evening.
Investigation Underway into Collapse Cause
Authorities are continuing to probe the cause behind the structural failure. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building collapsed due to an unstable foundation.
"Out of all the catastrophes in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The total count includes at least two people who were rescued from the rubble but later succumbed in hospital.
Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns
The institution is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Many pesantren function informally, lacking comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the institution had necessary permits to undertake additional construction.
Rescue Challenges
Emergency response efforts have faced difficulties due to the way the structure collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for rescuers to operate within, authorities stated previously.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have shared their harrowing escape experiences with regional news outlets.
One teenage survivor recalled first "hearing the noise of falling rocks", which "grew louder and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the ceiling.
