Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesia Educational Institution Collapse Fatalities Increases to 54
Media Source
The number of fatalities from the collapse of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for over twelve unaccounted persons.
Hundreds pupils, primarily adolescent males, had gathered for prayers at the religious educational institution in Eastern Java when the structure collapsed while undergoing construction.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the country's most fatal catastrophe in 2025. Rescue personnel are expected to complete their search operation for thirteen individuals trapped beneath the rubble by evening.
Probe Ongoing into Structural Failure
Authorities are continuing to probe the reason behind the structural failure. Some officials indicated the two-storey building caved in due to an unstable foundation.
"Among all the catastrophes 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 disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing.
The overall number includes at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in medical care.
School Background and Oversight Issues
The facility is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Numerous Islamic schools function informally, lacking strong regulation or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to conduct additional construction.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the manner the structure collapsed, leaving only tight spaces for rescuers to operate within, officials reported last week.
Survivor Accounts
Survivors have shared their terrifying survival stories with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old eyewitness described first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the ceiling.
