Tragedy Worsens as Indonesian School Collapse Death Toll Rises to 54
Media Source
The death count from the structural failure of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, as confirmed by officials, with rescue teams continuing their search for more than a dozen unaccounted persons.
Numerous pupils, mostly adolescent males, had assembled for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when the building collapsed while being renovated.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the country's deadliest catastrophe in 2025. Rescue personnel are anticipated to conclude their rescue mission for thirteen individuals trapped beneath the rubble by evening.
Investigation Underway into Collapse Cause
Investigators are still examining the cause behind the structural failure. Certain authorities suggested the two-storey building caved in due to an inadequate base.
"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 includes at least two individuals who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in hospital.
School Background and Oversight Issues
The facility is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Many pesantren function without formal oversight, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to conduct building modifications.
Operational Difficulties
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the manner the structure fell, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to operate within, authorities reported last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Survivors have shared their harrowing survival stories with local media.
One 13-year-old eyewitness described first "hearing the noise of falling rocks", which "grew louder and louder".
The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by collapsing materials from the roof.
