Tragedy Worsens as Indonesia School Structural Failure Fatalities Rises to 54
News Agency
The death count from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with rescue teams continuing their search for over twelve missing individuals.
Numerous students, mostly adolescent males, had gathered for religious services at the religious educational institution in East Java when the structure collapsed while undergoing construction.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the nation's most fatal catastrophe this year. Rescue personnel are anticipated to conclude their rescue mission for 13 victims ensnared under debris by evening.
Probe Ongoing into Structural Failure
Investigators are still examining the reason behind the structural failure. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Among all the catastrophes in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there hasn't been as numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared a representative from the disaster mitigation agency during a press conference.
The overall number includes at least two people who were rescued from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in hospital.
School Background and Oversight Issues
The facility is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Many pesantren operate informally, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the institution had necessary permits to undertake building modifications.
Operational Difficulties
Emergency response efforts have proven challenging due to the manner the structure collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to maneuver within, officials stated previously.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have shared their terrifying survival stories with local media.
One teenage eyewitness recalled first "noticing the noise of falling rocks", which "intensified and louder".
The young person quickly rushed for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the roof.