Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesia School Collapse Death Toll Rises to 54
Media Source
The death count from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders continuing their search for more than a dozen unaccounted persons.
Hundreds pupils, mostly teenage boys, had gathered for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the structure gave way while being renovated.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the nation's deadliest catastrophe in 2025. Emergency workers are expected to conclude their rescue mission for 13 victims ensnared under debris by evening.
Probe Ongoing into Structural Failure
Investigators are still examining the cause behind the structural failure. Some officials suggested the two-storey building collapsed due to an unstable foundation.
"Out of all the catastrophes in 2025, natural or not, there has not occurred as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," stated a deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a press conference.
The overall number encompasses at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in hospital.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Many Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to conduct building modifications.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the manner the building collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to maneuver within, authorities stated last week.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have recounted their terrifying escape experiences with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old eyewitness recalled first "noticing the noise of collapsing materials", which "intensified and louder".
The adolescent quickly rushed for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the ceiling.
