Tragedy Worsens as Indonesian School Collapse Death Toll Increases to 54

Media Source

The death count from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders still looking for over twelve missing individuals.

Numerous pupils, primarily teenage boys, had gathered for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the structure gave way while undergoing construction.

The country's emergency management authority describes this as the country's most fatal catastrophe this year. Rescue personnel are anticipated to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims trapped under debris by evening.

Investigation Underway into Collapse Cause

Authorities are still examining the cause behind the structural failure. Some officials suggested the two-storey building collapsed due to an unstable foundation.

"Among all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the disaster mitigation agency during a press conference.

The total count encompasses at least two individuals who were extracted from the debris but subsequently succumbed in hospital.

School Background and Regulatory Concerns

The institution is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.

Many Islamic schools function without formal oversight, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to conduct additional construction.

Rescue Challenges

Emergency response efforts have faced difficulties due to the way the structure collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for rescuers to maneuver within, authorities stated previously.

Survivor Accounts

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

One teenage eyewitness described first "hearing the noise of falling rocks", which "grew louder and louder".

The young person immediately ran for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was wounded by falling debris from the roof.