Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Musa Ashoms, has confirmed that approximately 200 students were trapped in the collapsed Jos school building.
West Africa Weekly reported that Saints Academy, a secondary school in Jos, collapsed on Friday while students took their third-term exams.
Ashoms, who visited the site with other commissioners, including the commissioner for secondary education, stated that the school had a total population of about 400 students.
He explained that the collapsed section housed around 200 students.
“The collapsed building has resulted in casualties, and injured students are still being evacuated to hospitals.
“We cannot ascertain the exact number of casualties until the evacuation is completed.”
He commended emergency responders for their rescue efforts to bring the trapped students out of the rubble. “The emergency workers are doing a lot in the rescue efforts,” Ashoms said.
He stated that Governor Caleb Mutfwang had urged hospital medical personnel to prioritise saving survivors’ lives without asking for money or anything else, as this was an emergency.
According to the commissioner, the collapsed building, constructed in a waterlogged area, did not meet construction standards.
“You can see that it is by the river bank and, from your eye evaluation, you know that it is not a very strong structure,” he said.
“We are calling on other schools that didn’t follow plans that have similar issues to close down in the interest of our state in the interest of our people, because we have established a committee to go around,” the commissioner said.
Read More: Plateau: School Building Collapses, Trapping Students
Cape Verde, São Tomé Urge Portuguese-Speaking Countries To Sign Social Security Agreement
About The Author
