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59m ago

At Least 50 Dead in Indonesia Boarding School Collapse as Search Continues

Officials link the disaster to an unauthorized vertical expansion that exposed chronic permit failures at religious schools.

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, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)
Rescuers gather near the site of a building collapse on Monday, where people remained trapped according to disaster mitigation agency, as the search and rescue operations continue at Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java province, Indonesia, October 2, 2025. REUTERS/Dipta Wahyu
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Overview

  • Rescue authorities now confirm at least 49 fatalities, with several reports citing 50 to 54 dead, while roughly 13 to 14 students remain missing.
  • Teams have cleared most of the debris using excavators, jackhammers and saws, recovering 35 bodies over the weekend as operations shift toward recovery.
  • Police say two additional floors were being added without a permit, overloading the structure during concrete pouring and causing a catastrophic failure.
  • East Java police have opened a criminal investigation and will consult construction experts to determine whether negligence led to the deaths.
  • Indonesia’s public works minister says only about 50 pesantren nationwide hold building permits, highlighting widespread unpermitted construction.