Tragedy Deepens as Indonesia School Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54

Media Source

The death count from the structural failure of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals.

Hundreds students, mostly teenage boys, had assembled for religious services at the religious educational institution in Eastern Java when the building gave way while undergoing construction.

The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the nation's deadliest catastrophe this year. Rescue personnel are expected to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims trapped under debris by day's end.

Investigation Ongoing into Structural Failure

Investigators are still examining the reason behind the collapse. Certain authorities indicated the two-level structure caved in due to an unstable foundation.

"Among all the catastrophes in 2025, natural or not, there has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the emergency management authority during a press conference.

The total count includes at least two individuals who were rescued from the rubble but later died in medical care.

Institutional Context and Oversight Issues

The institution is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.

Numerous Islamic schools function without formal oversight, lacking comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to conduct building modifications.

Rescue Challenges

Emergency response efforts have proven challenging due to the way the building collapsed, creating narrow voids for rescuers to operate within, authorities reported last week.

Eyewitness Reports

Survivors have recounted their terrifying 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 ceiling.