Catastrophe Deepens as Indonesian Educational Institution Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54
Media Source
The death count from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals.
Numerous pupils, primarily adolescent males, had gathered for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the building gave way while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority describes this as the nation's deadliest catastrophe this year. Emergency workers are anticipated to conclude their rescue mission for thirteen individuals ensnared under debris by day's end.
Investigation Ongoing into Structural Failure
Investigators are still examining the reason behind the collapse. Certain authorities indicated the two-level structure collapsed 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 deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing.
The total count encompasses at least two individuals who were rescued from the rubble but subsequently died in medical care.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, without strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake additional construction.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the manner the building collapsed, creating narrow voids for rescuers to operate within, officials stated previously.
Eyewitness Reports
Survivors have recounted their terrifying survival stories with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old survivor recalled first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "intensified and louder".
The adolescent quickly rushed for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by falling debris from the ceiling.
