Tragedy Deepens as Indonesia Educational Institution Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders still looking for more than a dozen unaccounted persons.
Numerous students, mostly teenage boys, had assembled for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the building collapsed while being renovated.
The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the country's deadliest catastrophe in 2025. Emergency workers are anticipated to conclude their search operation for 13 victims ensnared under debris by day's end.
Probe Underway into Structural Failure
Investigators are continuing to probe the cause behind the collapse. Certain authorities suggested the two-level structure caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Among all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, 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 overall number encompasses at least two individuals who were rescued from the rubble but later succumbed in medical care.
Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns
The facility is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous pesantren function without formal oversight, lacking strong regulation or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.
Operational Difficulties
Emergency response efforts have proven challenging due to the way the building fell, creating tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, officials reported previously.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have shared their terrifying escape experiences with regional news outlets.
One teenage survivor described first "hearing the noise of falling rocks", which "grew louder and more intense".
The young person quickly rushed for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by falling debris from the ceiling.
