The Plateau State Government has confirmed that 22 people have died and 132 others have been injured following the collapse of a school building in Jos. Mr. Musa Ashoms, the Commissioner for Information, stated that six of the injured are in critical condition.
Ashoms disclosed that the injured are receiving treatment in various tertiary health facilities across the state, while the bodies of the deceased have been deposited in mortuaries.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the two-storey building of Saints Academy, a secondary and primary school located in Busa-Buji community of Jos North Local Government Area, collapsed, trapping students, teachers, and others inside.
The incident occurred at about 8:30 a.m. on Friday, while the students were writing their third term examinations.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State 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, on Friday in Jos, the governor expressed his sympathy to the families of the victims, describing the incident as heart-wrenching and unfortunate.
“This is tragic, unfortunate, heart-wrenching, and a gloomy situation,” Mutfwang said. “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.”
The governor has directed relevant government agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, to provide necessary support to the 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 added.
Highlighting the significance of Executive Order 003, recently signed into law, Mutfwang clarified that its intent was to safeguard citizens from such disasters.
“The rationale for 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 explained.
