Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders still looking for over twelve unaccounted persons.
Hundreds pupils, mostly teenage boys, had gathered for religious services at the religious educational institution in East Java when the building gave way while being renovated.
The country's emergency management authority describes this as the nation's deadliest catastrophe this year. Rescue personnel are expected to complete their search operation for 13 victims ensnared beneath the rubble by evening.
Probe Underway into Structural Failure
Investigators are still examining the reason behind the collapse. Some officials suggested the two-storey building caved in due to an inadequate base.
"Out of all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as many dead victims as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the emergency management authority during a media briefing.
The overall number encompasses at least two individuals who were extracted from the debris but later succumbed in hospital.
School Background and Oversight Issues
The facility is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Many Islamic schools function without formal oversight, without strong regulation or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to conduct additional construction.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the way the structure fell, leaving only tight spaces for emergency personnel to operate within, officials reported last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have shared their harrowing escape experiences with local media.
One 13-year-old survivor recalled first "hearing the sound of collapsing materials", which "intensified and louder".
The adolescent quickly rushed for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the roof.
