Tragedy Worsens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Death Toll Rises to 54

News Agency

The number of fatalities from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals.

Numerous students, primarily adolescent males, had gathered for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when the structure collapsed while being renovated.

The country's emergency management authority describes this as the country's most fatal catastrophe this year. Rescue personnel are anticipated to conclude their search operation for 13 victims trapped beneath the rubble by day's end.

Investigation Underway into Collapse Cause

Investigators are still examining the reason behind the collapse. Certain authorities indicated the two-level structure collapsed due to an inadequate base.

"Out of all the catastrophes in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared 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 later died in hospital.

School Background and Regulatory Concerns

The institution is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.

Numerous Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, lacking comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the school had necessary permits to conduct building modifications.

Operational Difficulties

Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the manner the building collapsed, leaving only tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, officials reported previously.

Survivor Accounts

Those who escaped have shared their harrowing survival stories with local media.

One 13-year-old eyewitness described first "hearing the noise of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and louder".

The young person immediately ran for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by falling debris from the ceiling.