A two-storey school building in Plateau State has collapsed leaving many students and teachers trapped with twenty-two of them confirmed dead.
It was learnt that the school, Saint Academy located at the Busa Buji community in Jos North Local Government Area of the state collapsed on Friday morning around 8:30 am when many of the students and teachers were already in classes.
The news of the collapsed building jolted the community as distraught residents and parents who had their wards in the school were said to have rushed to the institution to ascertain their fate.
Many of the residents were seen wailing while security men and emergency workers were busy trying to pull survivors from the rubble.
Casualties confirmed
Aside the 22 deaths, the Plateau State Government has confirmed 132 injured persons, from the Jos collapsed school building.
The school reportedly has 284 Secondary students and 145 Primary pupils.
Mr Musa Ashoms, the commissioner for Information, said six of the injured were in critical condition.
Ashoms said that those injured were receiving treatment in various tertiary health facilities in the state, while the bodies of the deceased had been deposited in the mortuaries..
Condolences
Meanwhile, Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, has described the incident as a tragic and a monumental loss to the state.
Mutfwang stated this in a statement issued by Mr Gyang Bere, his Director of Press and Public Affairs, on Friday evening.
The governor, who sympathised with the families of the affected victims, further described the incident as heart-wrenching and unfortunate.
”This is tragic, unfortunate, heart-wrenching and a gloomy situation.
”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.
”I have directed the relevant government agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, to provide necessary support to 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 said.
Highlighting the significance and broader purpose of Executive Order 003, recently signed into law, Mutfwang clarified that its intent was to safeguard citizens from such disasters.
”The rationale for the 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 said
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