Indonesia school collapse death toll hits 54

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 08:24

A school building collapse in Indonesia has killed 54 people, with at least 13 still missing, as rescue teams continue operations and investigators point to poor construction as a likely cause.

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Rescuers use heavy machines to clear the rubble during the search for victims at a building that collapsed at an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, October 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)

Rescue teams in Indonesia are racing to locate survivors after a deadly school building collapse on Java island claimed the lives of 54 individuals, according to officials speaking Monday. The structure, part of an Islamic boarding school, gave way without warning during afternoon prayers last week, trapping dozens beneath the rubble.

As of Monday morning, "we have retrieved 54 dead victims, including five body parts," said Yudhi Bramantyo, operations director at the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), during a press conference. Emergency crews remain on-site, working around the clock in hopes of concluding recovery efforts soon. "We hope we can conclude the recovery today (Monday), and we will return the bodies (to the families)," Yudhi added.

🚨⚡️Tragedy in Indonesia
Rescue workers are searching through the rubble for 38 people after the collapse of a boarding school in Indonesia.

The disaster mitigation authorities reported that the unstable building in the town of Sidoarjo collapsed during construction. pic.twitter.com/ufLhpzhmeG
— RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) October 5, 2025

Authorities have identified the incident as the most fatal disaster to hit the country this year. "The collapse was Indonesia's deadliest disaster so far this year," stated Budi Irawan, deputy head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). At least 13 people remain unaccounted for.

Investigations into the cause are ongoing, but experts suspect that construction flaws played a significant role. Concerns about lax enforcement of building codes have resurfaced, especially following a similar tragedy last month in West Java, where a building collapse during a prayer event resulted in three deaths and numerous injuries.

Families of the missing approved the deployment of heavy machinery late last week, following the end of the 72-hour period often considered critical for finding survivors. The collapse has sparked renewed scrutiny of Indonesia's construction practices, with officials and citizens alike demanding accountability.

A century-old pesantren

Al-Khoziny, also known locally as Buduran Islamic Boarding School, is among the oldest pesantren (Islamic boarding schools where students, or santri, live and study both formal subjects and Islamic teachings) in East Java. Established in 1927, it has educated generations of Islamic scholars and today hosts more than 2,000 students.

Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, counts over 42,000 pesantren nationwide, serving millions of students who study both formal subjects and Islamic teachings while living in dormitories.