Inp.polri.go.id - Surabaya. East Java Regional Police have upgraded the investigation into the fatal collapse of the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo to a criminal probe following a case review by a joint investigation team. 

The disaster killed and injured dozens of people last month.

“The investigation status has officially been raised from inquiry to full criminal investigation,” East Java Police Head of Public Relations Senior Superintendent Jules Abraham Abast said on Thursday (9/10/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com. 

He confirmed that investigators will summon several witnesses for further questioning to determine liability.

Out of 17 witnesses previously questioned, including school administrators, construction workers, and eyewitnesses, only those directly linked to the incident will be reexamined. The joint team, formed on 29 September 2025, consists of officers from East Java Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate and Sidoarjo City Sub-regional Police. 

Authorities are also seeking expert testimony from structural and construction engineers to establish potential criminal negligence in the building’s collapse.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)