Tragedy Worsens as Indonesian Educational Institution Structural Failure Fatalities Rises to 54
News Agency
The number of fatalities from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders still looking for more than a dozen unaccounted persons.
Hundreds pupils, mostly adolescent males, had assembled for prayers at the religious educational institution in East Java when the building gave way while being renovated.
The country's emergency management authority describes this as the nation's most fatal catastrophe in 2025. Rescue personnel are anticipated to complete their search operation for 13 victims ensnared beneath the rubble by evening.
Probe Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Authorities are continuing to probe the cause behind the collapse. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Among all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there has not occurred as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The total count includes at least two people who were rescued from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in medical care.
Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous pesantren operate informally, lacking strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains uncertain whether the school had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the way the building collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to operate within, officials reported previously.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have shared their harrowing escape experiences with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old survivor recalled first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "intensified and louder".
The young person quickly rushed for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the roof.
