Tragedy Deepens as Indonesia Educational Institution Collapse Fatalities Rises to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, as confirmed by officials, with rescue teams still looking for over twelve unaccounted persons.
Hundreds pupils, primarily adolescent males, had gathered for religious services at the religious educational institution in Eastern Java when the building collapsed while undergoing construction.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency characterizes this as the country's deadliest catastrophe in 2025. Emergency workers are expected to complete their search operation for thirteen individuals ensnared under debris by day's end.
Investigation Ongoing into Structural Failure
Investigators are continuing to probe the cause behind the collapse. Some officials suggested the two-storey building collapsed due to an inadequate base.
"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 representative from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing.
The total count encompasses at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in medical care.
Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns
The institution is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, lacking comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to undertake additional construction.
Operational Difficulties
Emergency response efforts have proven challenging due to the way the structure fell, creating narrow voids for rescuers to operate within, officials reported last week.
Survivor Accounts
Survivors have shared their harrowing escape experiences with local media.
One teenage survivor described first "hearing the sound of falling rocks", which "intensified and louder".
The young person immediately ran for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the ceiling.
