Tragedy Deepens as Indonesia Educational Institution Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54
News Agency
The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders continuing their search for over twelve missing individuals.
Numerous pupils, primarily teenage boys, had assembled for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the structure collapsed while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority describes this as the nation's most fatal disaster this year. Emergency workers are expected to conclude their search operation for thirteen individuals trapped under debris by day's end.
Investigation Ongoing into Structural Failure
Authorities are continuing to probe the cause behind the structural failure. Some officials suggested the two-storey building caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Among all the catastrophes in 2025, natural or not, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The overall number encompasses at least two individuals who were extracted from the rubble but later succumbed in medical care.
Institutional Context and Oversight Issues
The institution is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Many pesantren operate informally, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the school had proper authorization to undertake additional construction.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the manner the building fell, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to maneuver within, authorities stated previously.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have shared their harrowing escape experiences with local media.
One 13-year-old eyewitness described first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and louder".
The adolescent quickly rushed for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by collapsing materials from the ceiling.
