Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, as confirmed by officials, with rescue teams still looking for over twelve missing individuals.
Hundreds students, mostly teenage boys, had assembled for religious services at the religious educational institution in Eastern Java when the structure collapsed while being renovated.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the country's deadliest disaster this year. Rescue personnel are expected to complete their rescue mission for thirteen individuals ensnared beneath the rubble by evening.
Investigation Underway into Structural Failure
Investigators are still examining the reason behind the collapse. Some officials suggested the two-level structure collapsed due to an unstable foundation.
"Out of all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there hasn't been as numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing.
The overall number encompasses at least two individuals who were extracted from the rubble but later died in medical care.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools function informally, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had proper authorization to conduct additional construction.
Operational Difficulties
Emergency response efforts have proven challenging due to the way the structure fell, creating tight spaces for emergency personnel to operate within, officials reported previously.
Survivor Accounts
Those who escaped have recounted their harrowing escape experiences with regional news outlets.
One teenage eyewitness recalled first "noticing the noise of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the ceiling.