Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesia School Collapse Fatalities Rises to 54
Media Source
The death count from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals.
Hundreds students, primarily 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 deadliest catastrophe this year. Rescue personnel are anticipated to conclude their rescue mission for 13 victims trapped under debris by evening.
Investigation Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Authorities are continuing to probe the reason behind the structural failure. Some officials indicated the two-storey building collapsed due to an inadequate base.
"Among all the catastrophes in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The overall number encompasses at least two individuals who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently died in medical care.
Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns
The institution is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools function without formal oversight, without strong regulation or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had proper authorization to conduct additional construction.
Rescue Challenges
Emergency response efforts have faced difficulties due to the manner the building fell, creating tight spaces for emergency personnel to maneuver within, officials reported previously.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have shared their terrifying survival stories with local media.
One teenage survivor described first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by collapsing materials from the ceiling.
