The call came as the government intensifies its focus on school safety following the fatal collapse of a building at Al Khoziny Pesantren in Buduran, Sidoarjo, East Java, on September 29.
"The collapse of the Al Khoziny Pesantren building in Sidoarjo is the non-natural disaster with the highest death toll throughout 2025. We all share the responsibility to respond to this tragedy, which was caused by technological errors," Pratikno noted in a statement on Saturday.
He stressed the urgency of nationwide school safety assessments while chairing a ministerial meeting on the aftermath of the Al Khoziny incident, which claimed 67 lives, in Jakarta on Friday (October 10).
During the meeting, Pratikno sought to align the efforts of various institutions to ensure that all educational facilities in Indonesia comply with structural safety standards to prevent future tragedies.
He highlighted the importance of synergy between the Public Works Ministry, Religious Affairs Ministry, Health Ministry, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and regional governments.
"Strengthening coordination across institutions is paramount to make sure that all educational facilities, including religious ones, comply with technical requirements and remain under strict supervision," he emphasized.
The minister also commended the joint efforts of central and regional governments in swiftly evacuating 171 victims in the Al Khoziny tragedy.
"The safety of children in schools and pesantrens is our top priority. We must all draw lessons from this tragedy to pay closer attention to the structural safety of educational facilities," he remarked.
In response to the collapse, President Prabowo Subianto ordered comprehensive audits of pesantren buildings nationwide.
The government will also extend assistance to financially vulnerable pesantrens deemed at risk of collapse to help them improve their structural safety, as announced by Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar.
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Translator: M. Riezko Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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