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The death count from the structural failure of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders still looking for over twelve unaccounted persons.

Hundreds students, primarily teenage boys, had gathered for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the building collapsed while being renovated.

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the country's deadliest disaster in 2025. Emergency workers are expected to complete their rescue mission for 13 victims trapped under debris by evening.

Probe Underway into Structural Failure

Investigators are still examining the reason behind the collapse. Some officials suggested the two-level structure caved in due to an unstable foundation.

"Among 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 press conference.

The overall number includes at least two individuals who were rescued from the debris but later succumbed in hospital.

School Background and Regulatory Concerns

The facility is a conventional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.

Numerous pesantren operate without formal oversight, without strong regulation or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had necessary permits to undertake building modifications.

Operational Difficulties

Search and rescue operations have proven challenging due to the manner the building fell, creating tight spaces for emergency personnel to operate within, authorities stated previously.

Eyewitness Reports

Survivors have shared their harrowing survival stories with local media.

One teenage survivor described first "hearing the noise of falling rocks", which "intensified and louder".

The young person immediately ran for the doorway, and while he successfully got out, he was wounded by collapsing materials from the ceiling.