Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesian Educational Institution Collapse Fatalities Increases to 54
News Agency
The death count from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams continuing their search for over twelve unaccounted persons.
Numerous pupils, mostly teenage boys, had gathered for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the structure collapsed while being renovated.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the nation's deadliest catastrophe in 2025. Emergency workers are expected to conclude their rescue mission for thirteen individuals ensnared beneath the rubble by evening.
Probe Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Authorities are continuing to probe the cause behind the collapse. Some officials suggested the two-storey building caved in due to an inadequate base.
"Among all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a representative from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The total count encompasses at least two individuals who were extracted from the debris but later died in hospital.
Institutional Context and Oversight Issues
The facility is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, without strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the school had proper authorization to undertake additional construction.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the way the building fell, creating narrow voids for emergency personnel to operate within, authorities stated last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have shared their terrifying escape experiences with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old survivor described first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense".
The young person immediately ran for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the ceiling.
