A devastating collapse at the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in East Java, Indonesia, has resulted in the death of 54 people, with rescuers still searching for over a dozen missing individuals. The incident occurred last Monday while the two-storey building was undergoing construction. Hundreds of students, predominantly teenage boys, were gathered for prayers when the structure gave way. This tragedy marks the deadliest disaster in Indonesia this year, according to the country’s disaster mitigation agency. Rescuers are expected to conclude their search for the remaining 13 victims trapped under the rubble by the end of the day. Investigators are probing the cause of the collapse, with some officials attributing it to an unstable foundation. Budi Irawan, a deputy at the disaster mitigation agency, stated that the death toll surpasses that of any other disaster in 2025, whether natural or man-made. The victims include at least two individuals who were rescued from the debris but later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Al Khoziny, a traditional Islamic boarding school known as a pesantren, operates in a largely informal sector with minimal regulation. It remains unclear whether the school had the necessary permits for the additional construction. The search and rescue operations have been particularly challenging due to the manner in which the building collapsed, leaving only narrow voids for rescuers to navigate. Survivors have recounted their terrifying escapes to local media, with 13-year-old Muhammad Rijalul Qoib describing the escalating sound of falling rocks before he managed to flee, albeit injured by debris from the roof.