A catastrophic event occurred on Friday, July 12, 2024, in the Jos North district of Plateau State, Nigeria. The Saint Academy school building crumbled during an examination session, leading to the unfortunate deaths of 22 students. The two-story building’s sudden collapse trapped 154 pupils beneath the wreckage.
Rescue operations were initiated promptly with the assistance of mechanical diggers and dedicated volunteers. Plateau police spokesperson Alfred Alabo clarified that 132 students were rescued and admitted to various hospitals for treatment. Regrettably, 22 students could not be rescued alive.
Wulliya Ibrahim, one of the injured students, recounted the horrifying incident to the media, stating, “I entered the class not more than five minutes when I heard a sound, and the next thing, I found myself here.” He added, “We are many in the class; we are writing our exams.”
The state government of Plateau identified the frail structure of the school, situated near a riverbank, as the primary cause of the collapse. The heavy rainfall prior to the incident likely worsened the building’s structural weaknesses. The government has advised schools with similar structural risks to cease operations immediately to avert further disasters.
Chika Obioha, a local resident, provided a firsthand account of the chaotic rescue operations. He stated that everyone is contributing to the rescue efforts, and he witnessed multiple bodies and injured students being excavated from the debris.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), together with other key stakeholders, is spearheading the search and rescue measures. NEMA released a statement highlighting the urgency of the situation and their collaboration with security and healthcare personnel to locate and promptly treat all trapped individuals.
The government has instructed hospitals to prioritize treating the injured without insisting on documentation or payment to ensure swift medical intervention. This measure guarantees that all injured students receive immediate and necessary medical care.
“Devastated by the loss of young lives at Saint Academy,” UNICEF Nigeria representative Cristian Munduate wrote on social media. “Children full of dreams were writing exams when the school building collapsed. Deepest condolences to families affected.”
This incident underscores the persisting problem of building collapses in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. The root causes of these incidents are often traced back to lax enforcement of building standards, negligence, usage of substandard materials, and corruption. A series of major building collapses in Nigeria in recent years has claimed numerous lives.
In 2021, a high-rise building under construction in the Ikoyi district of Lagos collapsed, resulting in at least 45 fatalities. The next year, a three-story building in the Ebute-Metta area of Lagos collapsed, leading to the deaths of 10 individuals. Since 2005, no fewer than 152 buildings have collapsed in Lagos alone, as per a South African university researcher investigating construction disasters.
The Plateau state government has committed to a comprehensive investigation into the collapse of Saint Academy and to holding those responsible accountable. The community, meanwhile, is grappling with the tragic loss of young lives and the aftermath of the disaster.