Catastrophe Deepens as Indonesian Educational Institution Collapse Fatalities Rises to 54
News Agency
The death count from the structural failure of an Indonesian school has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders still looking for more than a dozen unaccounted persons.
Hundreds pupils, mostly teenage boys, had assembled for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when the structure collapsed while being renovated.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency characterizes this as the country's most fatal disaster this year. Emergency workers are anticipated to conclude their search operation for 13 victims trapped under debris by day's end.
Probe Ongoing into Structural Failure
Investigators are continuing to probe the cause behind the collapse. Certain authorities 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 has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing.
The overall number includes at least two individuals who were rescued from the rubble but subsequently died in medical care.
Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns
The institution is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Numerous pesantren function without formal oversight, without strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Emergency response efforts have proven challenging due to the way the building collapsed, leaving only tight spaces for emergency personnel to maneuver within, authorities stated last week.
Survivor Accounts
Survivors have shared their harrowing survival stories with local media.
One teenage eyewitness described first "hearing the noise of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the ceiling.
