Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesia School Structural Failure Death Toll Rises to 54
Media Source
The death count from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders still looking for over twelve missing individuals.
Hundreds students, primarily adolescent males, had assembled for religious services at the religious educational institution in Eastern Java when the building gave way while undergoing construction.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the country's deadliest catastrophe in 2025. Emergency workers are anticipated to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims trapped under debris by evening.
Investigation Underway into Structural Failure
Investigators are continuing to probe the cause behind the structural failure. Certain authorities indicated the two-level structure collapsed due to an unstable foundation.
"Among all the catastrophes in 2025, natural or not, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the ones in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the emergency management authority during a media briefing.
The overall number encompasses at least two people who were rescued from the rubble but later succumbed in medical care.
School Background and Oversight Issues
The facility is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Many Islamic schools function informally, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the school had proper authorization to undertake additional construction.
Operational Difficulties
Emergency response efforts have proven challenging due to the manner the structure fell, creating narrow voids for rescuers to maneuver within, officials stated previously.
Eyewitness Reports
Survivors have recounted their harrowing survival stories with local media.
One 13-year-old survivor described first "hearing the sound of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense".
The adolescent quickly rushed for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by falling debris from the roof.