Tragedy Worsens as Indonesia School Collapse Fatalities Rises to 54
News Agency
The number of fatalities from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders still looking for over twelve unaccounted persons.
Hundreds pupils, mostly teenage boys, had gathered for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the building gave way while being renovated.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the nation's deadliest disaster this year. Emergency workers are anticipated to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims trapped beneath the rubble by day's end.
Investigation Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Investigators are continuing to probe the reason behind the structural failure. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building collapsed due to an inadequate base.
"Among all the catastrophes in 2025, natural or not, there has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing.
The overall number encompasses at least two individuals who were rescued from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in hospital.
Institutional Context and Oversight Issues
The facility is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Many pesantren operate without formal oversight, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the way the building collapsed, creating narrow voids for emergency personnel to operate within, authorities reported previously.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have shared their harrowing survival stories with regional news outlets.
One teenage survivor described first "hearing the noise of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the roof.
