Catastrophe Deepens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Death Toll Rises to 54

News Agency

The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders continuing their search for more than a dozen unaccounted persons.

Numerous pupils, primarily adolescent males, had gathered for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when the structure gave way while undergoing construction.

The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the nation's most fatal disaster in 2025. Emergency workers are anticipated to conclude their search operation for thirteen individuals ensnared under debris by day's end.

Investigation Ongoing into Structural Failure

Investigators are still examining the cause behind the collapse. Some officials suggested the two-level structure collapsed due to an inadequate base.

"Out of all the catastrophes in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there hasn't been as numerous fatalities as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a representative from the emergency management authority during a press conference.

The overall number includes at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in hospital.

School Background and Oversight Issues

The facility is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.

Numerous Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, lacking strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the institution had proper authorization to conduct additional construction.

Rescue Challenges

Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the manner the structure fell, leaving only tight spaces for emergency personnel to operate within, authorities reported last week.

Eyewitness Reports

Those who escaped have shared their harrowing escape experiences with local media.

One teenage eyewitness described first "hearing the sound 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.