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News Agency

The death count from the collapse of an Indonesian school has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with rescue teams still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals.

Numerous pupils, primarily teenage boys, had assembled for prayers at the religious educational institution in East Java when the structure gave way while being renovated.

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency describes this as the country's deadliest catastrophe in 2025. Rescue personnel are expected to conclude their rescue mission for thirteen individuals ensnared under debris by evening.

Probe Underway into Collapse Cause

Investigators are continuing to probe the cause behind the structural failure. Some officials indicated the two-level structure collapsed 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," stated a deputy from the emergency management authority during a press conference.

The overall number encompasses at least two people who were rescued from the debris but subsequently succumbed in medical care.

School Background and Oversight Issues

The facility is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.

Many pesantren function informally, without comprehensive oversight or regular inspections. It remains unclear whether the institution had necessary permits to undertake building modifications.

Rescue Challenges

Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the way the building collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to maneuver within, officials stated last week.

Survivor Accounts

Survivors have shared their harrowing survival stories with regional news outlets.

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

The adolescent quickly rushed for the exit, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by falling debris from the ceiling.