- The Saints Academy, a secondary school in Jos, collapsed on Friday while students were taking their third-term exams
The Plateau State Government has confirmed that 22 people have died and 132 have been injured in the collapse of a school building in Jos.
Mr. Musa Ashoms, the Commissioner for Information, reported that six of the injured are in critical condition.
The Saints Academy, a secondary school in Jos, collapsed on Friday while students were taking their third-term exams.
Ashoms, who visited the scene along with other officials, including the Commissioner for Secondary Education, said the school had a total population of about 400 students. He noted that around 200 students were in the part of the building that collapsed.
He stated that the injured are receiving treatment in various tertiary health facilities in the state, while the bodies of the deceased have been taken to the mortuaries.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau described the incident as a tragic and monumental loss to the state. In a statement issued by Mr. Gyang Bere, his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mutfwang expressed sympathy for the families of the victims, calling the incident heart-wrenching and unfortunate.
”This is tragic, unfortunate, heart-wrenching and a gloomy situation.
”We appreciate the timely intervention of the search and rescue team, as well as members of the public, who rushed to the school premises to assist in evacuating some of the surviving students and staff.
”I have directed the relevant government agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, to provide necessary support to survivors.
”Words cannot fully comfort the grieving families over their immense loss, so we pray that God will continue to console and uphold them during this difficult period,” Mutfwang said.
Highlighting the significance and broader purpose of Executive Order 003, recently signed into law, Mutfwang clarified that its intent was to safeguard citizens from such disasters.
”The rationale for the executive order 003 is to prevent Jos from deteriorating into a slum, and to ensure compliance with building regulations in line with the Greater Jos Master Plan,” the governor said.
200 students trapped in the collapsed school building—Plateau government
The Plateau Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms, has confirmed that approximately 200 students were trapped in the collapsed school building in Jos.
“The collapsed building has resulted in casualties, and injured students are still being evacuated to hospitals.
“We cannot however, ascertain the exact number of casualties until the evacuation is completed
“The emergency workers are doing a lot in the rescue efforts.
“The Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has urged the medical personnel in the hospitals to ensure that they save the lives of survivors.
“They should not ask for money or anything because this is an emergency situation,” he said.
The commissioner, however, said that the incident underscored the imperative of order 003 of the state government, which was meant to enforce the implementation of the Greater Jos Master Plan, to prevent such unfortunate incidences.
According to him, the collapsed school building, which was built in a waterlogged area, clearly did not meet construction standards.
Ashoms said that the Jos Metropolitan Development Board would ensure that faulty buildings were brought down, while ongoing constructions would henceforth conform to standards.