A tragic incident unfolded on Friday morning in north-central Nigeria when a two-story school collapsed, claiming the lives of 22 students and triggering a frantic rescue operation to save over 100 individuals trapped in the rubble. The Saints Academy college, located in the Busa Buji community of Plateau state, crumbled shortly after students—many of whom were 15 years old or younger—had gathered for their morning classes.
Initially, 154 students were caught under the debris, but efforts led by Plateau state’s police spokesperson, Alfred Alabo, resulted in the successful rescue of 132 students, who were subsequently hospitalized for treatment of various injuries. Sadly, the toll included 22 fatalities, surpassing earlier reports that had estimated 12 deaths, as confirmed by local media.
At the scene, dozens of villagers assembled near the collapsed school, emotions running high with some grieving openly while others volunteered in the rescue efforts. Excavators diligently combed through the rubble where a section of the building had collapsed, intensifying the search for any remaining trapped individuals.
Heart-wrenching scenes unfolded as one woman, overwhelmed with grief, attempted to approach the debris while being restrained by others.
The National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria swiftly mobilized rescue teams, health workers, and security personnel to the site, coordinating a comprehensive search-and-rescue operation aimed at locating and evacuating all students caught in the disaster.
In response to the urgent medical needs arising from the incident, Plateau state’s commissioner for information, Musa Ashoms, assured that hospitals had been instructed to prioritize treatment for the injured students without delay or the requirement of upfront documentation or payment.
Authorities attributed the tragic collapse to the school’s structural weaknesses exacerbated by its proximity to a riverbank. The state government emphasized the importance of proactive measures, urging schools facing similar structural challenges to cease operations until safety improvements could be implemented.
The collapse of buildings has regrettably become a recurring issue in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, with a distressing pattern of similar incidents recorded over the past two years. Authorities frequently cite inadequate enforcement of building safety regulations and insufficient maintenance practices as primary factors contributing to these disasters.