Over 20 Students Dead, Several Injured as Three-storey Building Collapses in Jos

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

At least 20 students and teachers have died following the collapse of a three-storey school building belonging to Saints Academy at Busa-Buji community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Several others were badly injured and are in critical conditions at Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State Specialist Hospital and Our Lady of Apostle Hospital in Jos, while a few other students are still missing and can’t be accounted for, at the time of this report.

THISDAY gathered that the building which possibly had structural defects collapsed on Friday morning at about 10a.m. while the students and their teachers were already in classes.

Parents and guardians were seen wailing haplessly as they scampered to rescue their children and wards trapped under the rubbles, as the news of the incident threw the entire community into chaos.

Security men, emergency workers and youths from the community made frantic efforts to remove victims from the rubbles.

Meanwhile, the state government has expressed deep sadness over the incident, describing it as an avoidable tragedy, citing the school’s weak structure and unsafe location near a riverbank. 

In a statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms, the state commended the efforts of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA, Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Red Cross and security agencies for rescuing trapped children and transporting them to hospitals.

“To ensure prompt medical attention, the government has instructed hospitals to prioritise treatment without documentation or payment. The Commissioner for Health has also ordered all major hospitals in Jos to attend to the victims.

“Approximately 120 people were trapped, with many evacuated. The government emphasises the importance of adhering to safety standards, making Executive Order 003 sacrosanct. Schools with similar issues are urged to close down, enabling the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) to prevent future incidents,” Ashoms added.

While commiserating with affected families, the government stressed the need for clearance from the JMDB for any structure to be erected in the state, adding that “this incident highlights the importance of prioritising safety standards to prevent tragedies and ensure the well-being of citizens, especially children.”