Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesian Educational Institution Structural Failure Fatalities Rises to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the collapse of an Indonesian school has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders still looking for over twelve missing individuals.
Hundreds students, primarily adolescent males, had assembled 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 deadliest disaster this year. Emergency workers are expected to conclude their rescue mission for 13 victims ensnared under debris by evening.
Investigation Underway into Structural Failure
Investigators are still examining the cause behind the collapse. Certain authorities suggested the two-storey building caved in due to an inadequate base.
"Among all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the incident in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The total count encompasses at least two individuals who were extracted from the rubble but later died in hospital.
Institutional Context and Oversight Issues
The institution is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Many pesantren function informally, lacking comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to conduct building modifications.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the manner the structure collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for rescuers to operate within, authorities reported last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Survivors have shared their harrowing survival stories with regional news outlets.
One teenage survivor described first "hearing the noise of falling rocks", which "grew louder and more intense".
The adolescent quickly rushed for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the roof.
