🔗 Share this article Catastrophe Worsens as Indonesia School Structural Failure Death Toll Rises to 54 News Agency Numerous adolescent males had gathered for religious observances at the religious educational institution in Eastern Java when it collapsed last Monday The number of fatalities from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals. Hundreds students, primarily adolescent males, had assembled for religious services at the religious educational institution in Eastern Java when the structure gave way while undergoing construction. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency characterizes this as the nation's most fatal disaster this year. Rescue personnel are expected to conclude their search operation for thirteen individuals ensnared under debris by evening. Probe Ongoing into Collapse Cause Investigators are still examining the cause behind the structural failure. Certain authorities suggested the two-level structure caved in due to an inadequate base. "Among all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a press conference. The overall number includes at least two people who were extracted from the rubble but subsequently died in medical care. Institutional Context and Regulatory Concerns The facility is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren. Numerous Islamic schools operate informally, without comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the institution had necessary permits to undertake additional construction. Operational Difficulties Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the way the building fell, creating narrow voids for rescuers to maneuver within, authorities reported last week. Eyewitness Reports Those who escaped have shared their harrowing escape experiences with regional news outlets. One teenage eyewitness recalled first "noticing the sound of falling rocks", which "grew louder and louder". The adolescent immediately ran for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the roof.