Tragedy Strikes in Jos: School Collapse Claims Lives of 16 Students

Tragedy unfolded in Jos, Nigeria, as a devastating school collapse claimed the lives of at least 16 students on a fateful Friday. The incident occurred at the Saint Academy in Jos North district, Plateau State, while students were engrossed in their exams.

Rescue efforts commenced immediately, with trapped students heard crying for help beneath the rubble of the collapsed school building. Desperate parents scoured the site in search of their children, hoping for a miracle amidst the chaos.

The official reports initially mentioned ‘several students’ were casualties of the collapse, but on-ground observations revealed a more grim reality. An AFP correspondent witnessed five bodies at one hospital morgue and another 11 at a different facility, all adorned in school uniforms.

Survivors shared harrowing experiences, like Wulliya Ibrahim, who found himself trapped after hearing a deafening sound in his classroom. With his mother by his side at the hospital, Wulliya recounted the terrifying moments leading to his rescue.

The tragic collapse occurred at the two-story building housing the Saint Academy, leaving a trail of devastation among the students. The National Emergency Management Agency swiftly mobilized Search and Rescue operations to address the catastrophe.

A local resident, Chika Obioha, described the scene as chaotic, with visible casualties and numerous injuries. The community rallied together, offering assistance in the rescue mission to save as many lives as possible.

Hospitals, including the Bingham University Teaching Hospital and Our Lady of Apostles Hospital, received the injured students and confirmed the loss of lives. The toll of the incident continues to rise, emphasizing the severity of the tragedy.

While the exact cause of the collapse remains under investigation, residents highlighted three days of heavy rains in Plateau as a potential factor. Nigeria’s history of building collapses due to lax regulations, negligence, and substandard materials further compounds the ongoing structural challenges.

This heartbreaking event in Jos adds to a string of building disasters in Nigeria, highlighting the urgent need for stringent enforcement of safety standards to protect lives and prevent such calamities in the future.