Tragedy Deepens as Indonesian Educational Institution Collapse Death Toll Increases to 54
News Agency
The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for over twelve unaccounted persons.
Numerous students, mostly teenage boys, had assembled for religious services at the religious educational institution in East Java when the structure collapsed while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority describes this as the country's most fatal catastrophe in 2025. Rescue personnel are expected to conclude their search operation for thirteen individuals ensnared under debris by day's end.
Investigation Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Investigators are continuing to probe the cause behind the structural failure. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Among all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the ones in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The overall number includes at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in medical care.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The institution is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Many Islamic schools function informally, lacking strong regulation or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the way the building fell, creating tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, officials reported previously.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have shared their harrowing escape experiences with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old eyewitness recalled first "noticing the sound of falling rocks", which "intensified and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by collapsing materials from the ceiling.