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News Agency

The number of fatalities from the structural failure of an Indonesian school has climbed to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders continuing their search for more than a dozen missing individuals.

Hundreds students, primarily adolescent males, had assembled for prayers at the religious educational institution in East Java when the building gave way while being renovated.

The country's emergency management authority describes this as the nation's deadliest disaster this year. Emergency workers are anticipated to conclude their search operation for 13 victims trapped beneath the rubble by day's end.

Investigation Ongoing into Structural Failure

Authorities are still examining the reason behind the structural failure. Some officials suggested the two-level structure collapsed due to an unstable foundation.

"Among all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there hasn't been as numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," stated a representative from the emergency management authority during a media briefing.

The overall number includes at least two people who were rescued from the rubble but subsequently died in hospital.

School Background and Regulatory Concerns

The institution is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.

Numerous Islamic schools operate without formal oversight, lacking comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the institution had proper authorization to conduct building modifications.

Operational Difficulties

Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the way the building fell, creating tight spaces for emergency personnel to operate within, authorities stated last week.

Eyewitness Reports

Those who escaped have shared their harrowing survival stories with regional news outlets.

One 13-year-old survivor 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 falling debris from the roof.