The death toll from the collapse of a school in Indonesia has risen to 54, authorities said, with rescuers still searching for more than a dozen missing people. Hundreds of students, most of them teenage boys, had gathered for prayers at the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in East Java when it collapsed last Monday while undergoing construction. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency says it is the country's deadliest disaster this year. Rescuers are expected to complete their search for 13 victims trapped under the rubble by the end of the day. Investigators are looking into the cause of the collapse, with some officials indicating it may have stemmed from an unstable foundation. 'Out of all the disasters in 2025, natural or not, there haven't been as many dead victims as the ones in Sidoarjo,' Budi Irawan, a deputy at the disaster mitigation agency, stated in a press conference. The toll includes at least two individuals who were rescued but later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Al Khoziny is a traditional Islamic boarding school in Indonesia known as a pesantren. Many pesantren operate informally, without strong regulation or consistent monitoring, raising concerns about the legality of the ongoing construction at Al Khoziny. Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the building's collapse, with narrow voids complicating the recovery efforts. Survivors have recounted their harrowing escapes, with 13-year-old Muhammad Rijalul Qoib describing the terrifying sounds of the building falling around him as he narrowly escaped an injury from falling debris.
Tragedy Strikes: Death Toll from Indonesia School Collapse Reaches 54

Tragedy Strikes: Death Toll from Indonesia School Collapse Reaches 54
In a heartbreaking incident, the destruction of the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in East Java has claimed at least 54 lives, as rescuers continue the effort to find those still missing.
The catastrophic collapse of the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in East Java, Indonesia, has resulted in a tragic death toll of 54, marking it as the deadliest disaster in the country this year. Rescuers are engaged in ongoing search operations for 13 additional missing persons, amidst investigations into possible safety violations related to the building's unstable foundation. The incident reflects broader concerns regarding the regulation and safety of educational institutions in Indonesia.