🔗 Share this article Tragedy Deepens as Indonesia Educational Institution Structural Failure Fatalities Increases to 54 News Agency Numerous adolescent males had assembled for religious observances at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when it collapsed recently The number of fatalities 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. Hundreds pupils, mostly teenage boys, had assembled for religious services at the religious educational institution in East Java when the structure gave way while being renovated. The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the country's most fatal disaster this year. Rescue personnel are anticipated to complete their search operation for thirteen individuals trapped under debris by evening. Probe Ongoing into Structural Failure Investigators are still examining the cause behind the collapse. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building collapsed due to an unstable foundation. "Among all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing. The overall number includes at least two individuals who were rescued from the rubble but later died in medical care. School Background and Oversight Issues The institution is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren. Many Islamic schools function without formal oversight, lacking strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the school had proper authorization to conduct additional construction. Rescue Challenges Emergency response efforts have faced difficulties due to the way the structure fell, leaving only tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, authorities reported last week. Eyewitness Reports Survivors have shared their harrowing survival stories with regional news outlets. One teenage eyewitness described first "noticing the sound of falling rocks", which "intensified and louder". The adolescent quickly rushed for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the roof.