Tragedy Worsens as Indonesia Educational Institution Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54
News Agency
The death count from the collapse of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for over twelve missing individuals.
Hundreds pupils, primarily adolescent males, had assembled for prayers at the religious educational institution in East Java when the structure collapsed while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the nation's deadliest catastrophe this year. Emergency workers are expected to complete their search operation for 13 victims trapped beneath the rubble by evening.
Probe Ongoing into Structural Failure
Authorities are continuing to probe the cause behind the structural failure. Some officials indicated 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," stated a deputy from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The total count includes at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but later succumbed in hospital.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Many pesantren function without formal oversight, lacking strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to conduct additional construction.
Rescue Challenges
Emergency response efforts have proven challenging due to the manner the building collapsed, leaving only tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, authorities stated previously.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have recounted their terrifying survival stories with local media.
One 13-year-old eyewitness recalled first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and louder".
The young person immediately ran for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by falling debris from the ceiling.
