Tragedy Worsens as Indonesia Educational Institution Collapse Death Toll Rises to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with rescue teams continuing their search for over twelve missing individuals.
Hundreds students, mostly adolescent males, had gathered for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when the structure gave way while undergoing construction.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency characterizes this as the country's deadliest catastrophe this year. Emergency workers are anticipated to conclude their rescue mission for 13 victims ensnared under debris by day's end.
Investigation Ongoing into Structural Failure
Investigators are still examining the reason behind the collapse. Certain authorities suggested the two-storey building caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Out of all the catastrophes in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there hasn't been as numerous fatalities as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a press conference.
The total count encompasses at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently died in hospital.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, lacking strong regulation or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the school had proper authorization to undertake additional construction.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the manner the structure fell, creating tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, officials reported last week.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have shared their terrifying survival stories with regional news outlets.
One teenage survivor described first "noticing the noise of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by falling debris from the ceiling.
