🔗 Share this article Tragedy Deepens as Indonesia Educational Institution Structural Failure Fatalities Rises to 54 Media Source Hundreds adolescent males had assembled for prayers at the religious educational institution in Eastern Java when it gave way recently The number of fatalities from the collapse of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders continuing their search for over twelve unaccounted persons. Hundreds pupils, primarily teenage boys, had gathered for prayers at the religious educational institution in Eastern Java when the building gave way while being renovated. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency characterizes this as the nation's most fatal catastrophe this year. Rescue personnel are anticipated to conclude their search operation for 13 victims ensnared under debris by day's end. Probe Ongoing into Collapse Cause Authorities are still examining the reason behind the collapse. Certain authorities indicated the two-storey building collapsed due to an inadequate base. "Among all the catastrophes in 2025, natural or not, there hasn't been as numerous fatalities as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the emergency management authority during a press conference. The overall number includes at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently succumbed in medical care. Institutional Context and Oversight Issues The facility is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren. Many pesantren function without formal oversight, without strong regulation or regular inspections. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to conduct additional construction. Rescue Challenges Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the way the structure collapsed, creating narrow voids for rescuers to maneuver within, officials reported last week. Survivor Accounts Those who escaped have recounted their harrowing escape experiences with regional news outlets. One 13-year-old survivor described first "hearing the noise of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense". The adolescent quickly rushed for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by falling debris from the roof.