Tragedy Deepens as Indonesia Educational Institution Structural Failure Fatalities Increases to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the collapse of an Indonesian school has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams continuing their search for over twelve unaccounted persons.
Numerous pupils, primarily adolescent males, had gathered for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when the structure gave way while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority describes this as the nation's deadliest disaster in 2025. Rescue personnel are expected to conclude their rescue mission for 13 victims ensnared beneath the rubble by evening.
Investigation Underway into Structural Failure
Investigators are still examining the reason behind the structural failure. Certain authorities indicated the two-level structure caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Out of all the catastrophes in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a representative from the disaster mitigation agency during a press conference.
The overall number includes at least two people who were extracted from the debris but subsequently died in medical care.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Numerous pesantren function without formal oversight, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to conduct building modifications.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the way the structure fell, leaving only tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, officials reported previously.
Eyewitness Reports
Survivors have shared their harrowing survival stories with regional news outlets.
One teenage eyewitness recalled first "hearing the sound of collapsing materials", which "intensified and louder".
The young person immediately ran for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the roof.
