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CatastropheNigeria

Nigeria: School building collapses during class in Jos

July 12, 2024

Images from the scene showed rescue workers and parents rushing towards the site, with authorities saying that at least twenty-two people have died.

https://p.dw.com/p/4iE7G
People stand near the rubble of a collapsed school building, belonging to Saint Academy in the Busa Buji community, Plateau state, Nigeria July 12, 2024.
Emergency workers and locals tried to help clear the rubble and assist anyone trapped beneath itImage: Joshua Inusa/REUTERS

A school building in Nigeria collapsed on Friday, killing at least 22 people, mainly students, and injuring dozens more, according to local authorities.

The incident took place in Busa Buji in Jos, in Nigeria's Plateau State, to the east of Abuja. 

People stand near the rubble of a collapsed school building, belonging to Saint Academy in the Busa Buji community, Plateau state, Nigeria July 12, 2024.
Children were sitting exams at the time of the collapseImage: Joshua Inusa/REUTERS

"A two-story building housing Saint Academy (School) in Busa Buji in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State collapsed this morning killing several students," Nigeria's Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said online, sharing images apparently from the scene. 

"I entered the class not more than five minutes, when I heard a sound, and the next thing is I found myself here," Wulliya Ibrahim, one of the injured students told the AFP news agency, with his mother at his hospital bedside. "We are many in the class, we are writing our exams."

More than 100 students trapped under the rubble

Of the 154 students who were initially trapped under the rubble, at least 22 have  died, while 132 have been rescued and were being treated for injuries, Associated Press news agency reported citing Plateau police spokesman Alfred Alabo. 

Injured students were taken to "various hospitals" in the area, officials said.

"To ensure prompt medical attention, the government has instructed hospitals to prioritize treatment without documentation or payment," Plateau State Commissioner for Information Musa Ashoms said in a statement.

Police, soldiers and civilians were crowded near the scene as rescue workers tried to reach the victims with heavy machinery.

People stand near the site of a collapsed school building, belonging to Saint Academy in the Busa Buji community, Plateau state, Nigeria July 12, 2024.
Police and the military eventually cordoned off the siteImage: Joshua Inusa/REUTERS

NEMA said its staff and other critical stakeholders were conducting search and rescue operations.

The state government blamed the tragedy on the school's "weak structure and location near a riverbank." Moreover, the incident came following fairly heavy rainfall in recent days, with more thunderstorms forecast on Friday and into the weekend.

The government urged schools facing similar issues to shut down.

msh/lo, rm (AFP, Reuters)