Catastrophe Deepens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54
News Agency
The death count from the collapse of an Indonesian school has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders still looking for over twelve missing individuals.
Numerous students, mostly adolescent males, had gathered for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the structure gave way while undergoing construction.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the country's most fatal disaster in 2025. Emergency workers are expected to complete their search operation for thirteen individuals trapped under debris by evening.
Investigation Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Authorities are continuing to probe the cause behind the structural failure. Certain authorities suggested the two-level structure collapsed due to an inadequate base.
"Out of all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The total count includes at least two individuals who were extracted from the debris but subsequently succumbed in medical care.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Many pesantren function informally, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the school had necessary permits to conduct building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the way the structure collapsed, leaving only tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, officials stated last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Survivors have recounted their terrifying survival stories with local media.
One teenage survivor described first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by collapsing materials from the roof.
