Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54
News Agency
The death count from the collapse of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders continuing their search for more than a dozen unaccounted persons.
Hundreds pupils, mostly teenage boys, had gathered for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the building collapsed while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the nation's deadliest disaster in 2025. Emergency workers are anticipated to complete their search operation for 13 victims ensnared under debris by evening.
Investigation Underway into Collapse Cause
Investigators are still examining the cause behind the structural failure. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Out of all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as many dead victims as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared a representative from the emergency management authority during a media briefing.
The overall number includes at least two people who were extracted from the debris but later died in hospital.
Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Many Islamic schools function informally, without strong regulation or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to undertake building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the way the building collapsed, creating tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, authorities reported previously.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have recounted their terrifying survival stories with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old survivor described first "noticing the sound of falling rocks", which "grew louder and more intense".
The young person immediately ran for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the roof.
