The death toll from the collapse of an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia has risen to at least 50 people, with rescuers still searching for 13 others believed to be trapped under the rubble. The tragic incident occurred at the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java province, marking the country’s deadliest disaster of the year.
The collapse took place last week, when piles of concrete and steel caved in on hundreds of students—mostly teenage boys—during routine school activities. Rescue teams have been working around the clock, using heavy machinery and excavators to remove debris and locate victims. By late Sunday, about 80% of the debris had been cleared, allowing search teams to recover additional bodies and body parts.
Officials confirmed that the number of fatalities has now reached 50, with the possibility of more as the search nears completion. Some body parts have been recovered separately, suggesting that the true toll could be higher than the confirmed figure. Search operations are expected to conclude once all missing persons have been accounted for.
Rescue footage from the site shows teams carrying orange body bags from the ruins as emergency responders continue to work in difficult conditions. The area has been cordoned off as investigators assess the cause of the collapse. Preliminary findings point to structural failure due to ongoing construction on the school’s upper floors, which the building’s foundation was reportedly too weak to support.
Authorities have raised concerns about safety standards in Islamic boarding schools, known locally as pesantren. Across Indonesia, there are roughly 42,000 such institutions, but only a fraction of them have formal building permits. Reports indicate that just 50 pesantren across the country are officially licensed, exposing a widespread issue of unregulated construction and inadequate safety measures in educational institutions.
It remains unclear whether the Al Khoziny school possessed a valid building permit. The government has pledged to conduct a comprehensive review of all pesantren structures nationwide to prevent similar tragedies.
As rescue operations continue, grief has swept through the Sidoarjo community, where families and relatives of the victims have gathered, hoping for news of their loved ones. The disaster stands as a stark reminder of the urgent need for improved construction oversight and safety enforcement in Indonesia’s education sector.
