Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School Collapsed: Dormitory's Construction Quality Becomes a Question

By: Salma Sabrina

Friday, December 12th, 2025. 17.30 WIB.

The condition of Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding school after collapsed

Keywords: al-khoziny, construction quality, building permit violations

The collapse of Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Buduran, Sidoarjo on Monday, September 29th, 2025 caused significant concern about the construction quality of dormitories and the overall safety of educational buildings in Indonesia.

Based on structural analyses and disaster management reports, the main point is clear: poor oversight and construction quality practices played a significant role in the tragedy.

This raises an important question: how did architectural and structural failures contribute to the collapse, and what can be done to prevent future disasters?

What Happened During The Collapse?

The prayer room building at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo has collapsed

According to an Instagram Reels of @grammarside, the mosque building of Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School suddenly collapsed on September 29th, 2025, trapping students inside.

On October 4, 2025, Abdul Muhari, the Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, provided an update on the recent building collapse. The Search and Rescue (SAR) team, along with several officers, successfully evacuated the victims from the site. According to the latest report, there were approximately 167 victims in total: 118 individuals have been located, 103 have survived, 14 have unfortunately died, and one person has been sent home. Structural experts later confirmed that the building was under renovation and could not support the added loads placed on it.

Structural Failures Behind the Tragedy

Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School at night

In her article, Feysa Poetry argues that the Al-Khoziny tragedy resulted from negligence and can be classified as structural violence. This type of violence refers to crimes that are not directly caused by force, but rather by social structures that hinder communities from accessing their basic needs. These are described as follows:

1. Poor Construction Quality

Investigations into the Al-Khoziny collapsed indicate that the renovation used substandard materials and manually mixed concrete that did not meet structural requirements. This weak quality reduced the building's ability to support additional floors.

2. No Soil or Foundation Assessment

There's no evidence that geo-technical or soil-bearing tests were carried out before expansion, meaning the foundation may have been unsuited for a multi-story structure.

3. Overloaded and Undersized Columns

The building's slender columns were not designed for the added weight, creating a structural imbalance that contributed directly to the "pancake collapse".

4. Unsafe Use during Renovation

Students continued using the building despite ongoing construction. Occupying a structure before concrete fully cures and before safety inspection dramatically increases collapse risk.

5. Suspected Building Permit Violations

Initial reports suggest the expansion may have proceeded without proper approval or oversight. These building permit violations reflect systemic neglect of safety standards and magnified the severity of the incident.

Systemic Issues: Oversight and Regulation Gaps

a. Building Permit (PBG) Violations

Based on Media Indonesia's reporting, many pesantren, including Al-Khoziny, renovate or expand buildings without proper PBG approval, meaning the structure bypasses mandatory safety inspections.

b. Lack of Professional Supervision

Renovation relied heavily on non-certified labor rather than structural engineers, resulting in no proper design checks, load calculations, or oversight of material quality.

c. Weak Enforcement of Safety Standards

Although regulations exist, implementation is inconsistent, especially in community-built or religious institutions where construction often occurs informally. These gaps created an environment where unsafe construction could proceed unchecked, contributing directly to the Al-Khoziny collapse.

Impact on Students and the Education Sector

The collapse left many students traumatized, with survivors witnessing the loss of friends and enduring psychological distress. The tragedy has triggered widespread concern about safety in religious boarding schools (pesantren). According to coverage from ANTARA News, the government is now working to strengthen school building safety standards and introduce stricter oversight for dormitory construction.

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Strict enforcement of building-permit compliance (PBG)
Mandatory structural audits for multi-story school buildings
Professional engineering supervision in all construction phases
Safety training for school administrators and builders

Conclusion

The Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School collapse highlights the deadly consequences of weak construction quality, informal building practices, and ignored building permit violations. With 14 lives lost and over 100 survivors affected, the tragedy underscores the urgent need for stronger building regulations, trained supervision, and comprehensive safety enforcement across Indonesia’s educational institutions.