Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesian School Collapse Death Toll Rises to 54
News Agency
The number of fatalities from the collapse of an Indonesian school has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams 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 gave way while undergoing construction.
The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the country's most fatal disaster in 2025. Emergency workers are anticipated to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims ensnared under debris by evening.
Investigation Ongoing into Structural Failure
Investigators are still examining the reason behind the structural failure. Certain authorities suggested the two-storey building collapsed due to an inadequate base.
"Among all the catastrophes in 2025, natural or not, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the ones in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the disaster mitigation agency during a press conference.
The overall number encompasses at least two individuals who were rescued from the rubble but later succumbed in medical care.
School Background and Oversight Issues
The facility is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools function informally, without comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to conduct building modifications.
Operational Difficulties
Emergency response efforts have faced difficulties due to the way the building fell, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to operate within, officials stated previously.
Survivor Accounts
Survivors have recounted their harrowing survival stories with regional news outlets.
One teenage survivor described first "noticing the noise of collapsing materials", which "intensified and louder".
The young person quickly rushed for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was wounded by falling debris from the roof.
