Tragedy Deepens as Indonesian Educational Institution Collapse Fatalities Increases to 54
News Agency
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 unaccounted persons.
Hundreds pupils, mostly adolescent males, had assembled for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the building gave way while being renovated.
The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the country's most fatal catastrophe in 2025. Emergency workers are anticipated to complete their search operation for thirteen individuals trapped beneath the rubble by day's end.
Probe Underway into Structural Failure
Investigators are continuing to probe the cause behind the collapse. Certain authorities indicated the two-level structure collapsed due to an unstable foundation.
"Out of all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there has not occurred as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the emergency management authority during a media briefing.
The overall number includes at least two people who were rescued from the debris but later succumbed in hospital.
Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Many pesantren function informally, without strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains uncertain whether the institution had necessary permits to undertake additional construction.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the way the structure collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for rescuers to maneuver within, authorities stated previously.
Eyewitness Reports
Survivors have shared their terrifying survival stories with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old eyewitness recalled first "noticing the sound of falling rocks", which "intensified and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was wounded by falling debris from the ceiling.
