🔗 Share this article Catastrophe Deepens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Fatalities Rises to 54 Media Source Hundreds teenage boys had assembled for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when it collapsed last Monday The death count from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders still looking for over twelve missing individuals. Hundreds pupils, mostly teenage boys, had assembled for religious services at the religious educational institution in East Java when the structure collapsed while being renovated. The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the country's deadliest catastrophe in 2025. Rescue personnel are expected to conclude their search operation for 13 victims trapped under debris by evening. Probe Ongoing into Structural Failure Authorities are continuing to probe the reason behind the structural failure. Certain authorities suggested the two-storey building caved in due to an inadequate base. "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 disaster mitigation agency during a press conference. The overall number encompasses at least two people who were extracted from the debris but later died in hospital. Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns The institution is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren. Numerous pesantren operate without formal oversight, lacking comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to conduct building modifications. Rescue Challenges Emergency response efforts have faced difficulties due to the manner the building collapsed, creating narrow voids for emergency personnel to operate within, authorities reported last week. Eyewitness Reports Those who escaped have shared their harrowing survival stories with local media. One 13-year-old eyewitness recalled first "hearing the noise of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense". The adolescent immediately ran for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by collapsing materials from the roof.