A tragic incident unfolded in north-central Nigeria as a two-story school collapsed during morning classes on Friday, leaving approximately 120 students and teachers trapped in the rubble. Reports from a local television station indicated that there were 12 confirmed deaths at Saints Academy college in Plateau state’s Busa Buji community.
While the exact number of casualties is yet to be officially confirmed, a witness account at a nearby hospital mentioned that 26 individuals were receiving treatment in addition to the reported deaths. Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency has mobilized rescue teams, health workers, and security forces to the scene to assist in the search and rescue efforts.
The Plateau Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms, stated that around 120 people were initially trapped, with many successfully evacuated. The government has issued directives to hospitals to prioritize medical treatment for the victims without the need for documentation or payment.
The state government attributed the collapse to the school’s inadequate structure and its proximity to a riverbank. It advised other schools facing similar structural challenges to consider closing down for safety reasons.
As rescue operations continued, dozens of villagers gathered near the site, offering assistance and emotional support. The scene was marked by a mix of sorrow and determination as excavators worked tirelessly to clear the debris. One particularly poignant moment captured a woman overcome with grief, restrained by others as she tried to approach the rubble.
Building collapses have unfortunately become a recurring issue in Nigeria, with over a dozen such incidents recorded in the past two years. Authorities often point to the lack of enforcement of building safety regulations and poor maintenance practices as contributing factors to these disasters.
