Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Death Toll 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 emergency responders still looking for over twelve unaccounted persons.
Numerous pupils, mostly adolescent males, had assembled for religious services at the religious educational institution in East Java when the building collapsed while undergoing construction.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the nation's most fatal catastrophe in 2025. Emergency workers are expected to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims trapped beneath the rubble by evening.
Investigation Ongoing into Structural Failure
Authorities are still examining the reason behind the collapse. Certain authorities indicated the two-level structure collapsed due to an unstable foundation.
"Out of all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," stated a deputy from the emergency management authority during a media briefing.
The total count includes at least two people who were extracted from the debris but subsequently succumbed in medical care.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The institution is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools function informally, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had proper authorization to conduct building modifications.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the way the building collapsed, leaving only tight spaces for emergency personnel to maneuver within, officials stated last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have shared their terrifying escape experiences with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old eyewitness described first "hearing the noise of falling rocks", which "grew louder and louder".
The young person quickly rushed for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the roof.
