Catastrophe Deepens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Fatalities Rises to 54
News Agency
The death count from the structural failure of an Indonesian school has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals.
Hundreds students, mostly teenage boys, had gathered for religious services at the religious educational institution in East Java when the building collapsed while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the nation's most fatal disaster this year. Emergency workers are anticipated to complete their search operation for thirteen individuals trapped under debris by evening.
Investigation Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Authorities are still examining the cause behind the structural failure. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building collapsed due to an inadequate base.
"Out of all the catastrophes 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 media briefing.
The total count encompasses at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but later died in hospital.
Institutional Context and Oversight Issues
The institution is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous pesantren function without formal oversight, lacking comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to conduct additional construction.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the manner the building fell, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to maneuver within, officials reported last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Survivors have recounted their harrowing escape experiences with local media.
One teenage eyewitness recalled first "noticing the noise of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense".
The young person immediately ran for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by falling debris from the roof.
