🔗 Share this article Tragedy Deepens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Death Toll Increases to 54 News Agency Hundreds teenage boys had gathered for religious observances at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when it collapsed last Monday The number of fatalities from the collapse of an Indonesian school has escalated to 54, as confirmed by officials, with rescue teams still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals. Hundreds pupils, primarily teenage boys, had assembled for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the building gave way while being renovated. The country's emergency management authority characterizes this as the nation's most fatal disaster this year. Rescue personnel are anticipated to conclude their rescue mission for 13 victims ensnared under debris by evening. Probe Underway into Structural Failure Authorities are continuing to probe the reason behind the collapse. Certain authorities suggested the two-storey building caved in due to an inadequate base. "Out of all the catastrophes in 2025, natural or not, there has not occurred as many dead victims as the incident in Sidoarjo," stated a deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a media briefing. The overall number includes at least two individuals who were extracted from the rubble but later succumbed in hospital. School Background and Oversight Issues The institution is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren. Numerous Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, lacking comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains uncertain whether the institution had proper authorization to undertake building modifications. Operational Difficulties Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the way the building fell, creating narrow voids for rescuers to operate within, officials stated previously. Eyewitness Reports Survivors have recounted their harrowing escape experiences with local media. One 13-year-old eyewitness recalled first "hearing the noise of falling rocks", which "grew louder and louder". The adolescent quickly rushed for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by collapsing materials from the roof.