Tragedy Deepens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Fatalities Rises to 54
News Agency
The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders continuing their search for over twelve missing individuals.
Numerous students, mostly adolescent males, had gathered for prayers at the religious educational institution in East Java when the building gave way while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the country's deadliest disaster this year. Rescue personnel are anticipated to complete their rescue mission for thirteen individuals trapped beneath the rubble by day's end.
Investigation Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Authorities are continuing to probe the cause behind the structural failure. Some officials indicated the two-storey building collapsed due to an inadequate base.
"Among all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a representative from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The overall number includes at least two individuals who were rescued from the debris but subsequently succumbed in hospital.
Institutional Context and Oversight Issues
The facility is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous pesantren operate informally, lacking strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Emergency response efforts have proven challenging due to the way the building fell, creating tight spaces for emergency personnel to operate within, authorities reported last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have recounted their harrowing survival stories with local media.
One teenage survivor described first "hearing the noise of collapsing materials", which "intensified and louder".
The young person quickly rushed for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the roof.
