Two Still Missing as Indonesia's East Java Islamic Boarding School Collapse Kills 61

October 7, 2025 | 10:09 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two victims remain unaccounted for following the collapse of a musala at the Al Khoziny Buduran Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia.

Search and rescue (SAR) teams continue to scour the debris in ongoing evacuation efforts since the tragedy occurred on September 29, 2025.

According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), most of the victims trapped under the rubble have been found.

“Based on the attendance list of the Islamic boarding school, two students are still declared missing,” said BNPB’s Head of the Data, Information, and Communication Center for Disaster Management, Abdul Muhari, in a written statement on Monday night, October 6, 2025.

As of 10:45 PM WIB (Western Indonesia Tme) on Monday, the death toll had reached 61. The joint SAR team recovered 11 more bodies that day from the collapsed musala. Of the total fatalities, 17 have been identified by the East Java Regional Police’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team.

“All identified bodies have been handed over to the families or guardians for burial according to applicable regulations,” Abdul added.

The incident has so far claimed 167 victims in total, comprising 61 fatalities, 104 injured survivors, and two still missing.

During the week-long search, the evacuation team also discovered seven body parts, which are currently being identified at Bhayangkara Hospital in Surabaya.

The four-story musala collapsed on Monday, September 29, 2025, at around 3:00 PM WIB, while male students were performing the congregational Asr prayer on the ground floor. One week later, debris removal and victim evacuation efforts are still ongoing.

Families of the victims are now calling for accountability and legal action over the tragedy. Fauzi, a family representative, said there were indications of human error behind the collapse.

“Officials and experts have already stated that the building failure was due to construction faults. That means there was a violation, and it must be investigated,” Fauzi told Tempo on Monday.

The East Java Regional Police, however, declined to comment on the investigation, saying their current focus remains on the humanitarian response.

“We are still prioritizing the evacuation and assistance for victims. The investigation will follow,” said Commissioner Jules Abraham Abast, Head of Public Relations for the East Java Regional Police, on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

Hanaa Septiana contributed to the writing of this article.

Editor’s Choice:  Minister: Only 50 of 42,000 Islamic Boarding Schools in Indonesia Have Building Permits

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

Minister: Only 50 of 42,000 Islamic Boarding Schools in Indonesia Have Building Permits

2 jam lalu

Death Toll Rises to 60 in East Java School Collapse

13 jam lalu

Indonesia's Free Meal Program Poisoning Victims Reaches 1,833 a Week; Highest in East Java

21 jam lalu

Fatalities Rise to 49 in Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School Collapse

1 hari lalu

37 Bodies Recovered from Ruins of Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School

2 hari lalu

Govt Admits Some Islamic Boarding Schools in Indonesia Built Without Proper Permits

2 hari lalu

BNPB: Rescuers Find 118 After Indonesian School Building Collapse, 14 Dead

2 hari lalu

Indonesian Islamic Boarding School Collapse: 7 Dead, 56 Still Missing in Ongoing Evacuation

3 hari lalu

Death Toll Rises to 5 in Indonesian School Building Collapse, Rescue Efforts Continue

5 hari lalu

M6.5 Earthquake Hits East Java's Sumenep: Three Injured, Dozens of Homes Damaged

5 hari lalu