Tragedy Worsens as Indonesia Educational Institution Collapse Fatalities Increases to 54

Media Source

The death count from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders still looking for more than a dozen unaccounted persons.

Numerous students, primarily adolescent males, had gathered for prayers at the religious educational institution in East Java when the structure gave way while being renovated.

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency characterizes this as the nation's most fatal disaster in 2025. Rescue personnel are anticipated to conclude their search operation for thirteen individuals trapped beneath the rubble by evening.

Investigation Underway into Collapse Cause

Authorities are continuing to probe the reason behind the collapse. Some officials indicated the two-level structure caved in due to an inadequate base.

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

The overall number encompasses at least two individuals who were rescued from the debris but subsequently died in hospital.

School Background and Regulatory Concerns

The facility is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.

Many Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, lacking strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake building modifications.

Operational Difficulties

Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the manner the building fell, leaving only narrow voids for rescuers to operate within, authorities stated previously.

Survivor Accounts

Survivors have shared their terrifying escape experiences with regional news outlets.

One teenage survivor described first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "grew louder and more intense".

The adolescent immediately ran for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by collapsing materials from the ceiling.