Tragedy Deepens as Indonesia School Structural Failure Death Toll Rises to 54
Media Source
The death count from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals.
Hundreds pupils, primarily teenage boys, had assembled for religious services at the religious educational institution in East Java when the building gave way while being renovated.
The country's emergency management authority describes this as the country's deadliest catastrophe in 2025. Emergency workers are anticipated to complete their search operation for thirteen individuals ensnared under debris by day's end.
Investigation Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Authorities are still examining the cause behind the structural failure. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building collapsed due to an inadequate base.
"Among all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there has not occurred as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing.
The total count includes at least two people who were rescued from the debris but later died in medical care.
Institutional Context and Oversight Issues
The institution is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous pesantren function without formal oversight, without comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the manner the structure collapsed, creating tight spaces for rescuers to operate within, officials stated last week.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have recounted their terrifying survival stories with local media.
One teenage survivor described first "noticing the noise of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and louder".
The young person immediately ran for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by collapsing materials from the roof.
