Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesian Educational Institution Structural Failure Fatalities Rises to 54
Media Source
The death count from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with rescue teams continuing their search for more than a dozen unaccounted persons.
Numerous students, primarily teenage boys, had gathered for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the building gave way while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the nation's most fatal catastrophe this year. Rescue personnel are expected to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims trapped beneath the rubble by day's end.
Investigation Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Investigators are continuing to probe the reason behind the structural failure. Some officials indicated 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 numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared a representative from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing.
The total count encompasses at least two people who were extracted from the debris but later died in medical care.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The institution is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Many Islamic schools function informally, lacking comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the way the building collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to maneuver within, officials stated previously.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have shared their terrifying escape experiences with local media.
One 13-year-old survivor described first "noticing the noise of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense".
The young person quickly rushed for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by collapsing materials from the roof.
