Catastrophe Deepens as Indonesia Educational Institution Structural Failure Fatalities Increases to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with rescue teams still looking for over twelve missing individuals.
Hundreds students, primarily adolescent males, had gathered for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when the structure collapsed while being renovated.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the country's deadliest disaster in 2025. Rescue personnel are anticipated to complete their search operation for thirteen individuals ensnared under debris by evening.
Investigation Underway into Collapse Cause
Authorities are continuing to probe the reason behind the collapse. Certain authorities suggested the two-level structure caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Out of all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there hasn't been as numerous fatalities as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the emergency management authority during a media briefing.
The total count encompasses at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently died in medical care.
Institutional Context and Oversight Issues
The facility is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Numerous pesantren operate informally, without comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains uncertain whether the school had necessary permits to conduct building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Emergency response efforts have faced difficulties due to the manner the building fell, creating tight spaces for rescuers to operate within, officials reported previously.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have recounted their harrowing survival stories with regional news outlets.
One teenage survivor described first "hearing the noise of falling rocks", which "grew louder and louder".
The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was wounded by falling debris from the roof.
