Update: 22 Confirmed Dead In Plateau School Building Collapse

At least 22 people have been confirmed dead following the school building collapse in Plateau State’s Busa Buji community.

Saints Academy, a secondary school in Jos, collapsed on Friday, July 12, while the students were writing their third-term examinations.

Hours after Alfred Alabo, the Police Public Relations Officer in Plateau State, told Neusroom that the authorities are making efforts to determine the exact number of casualties in the collapsed school building, the number of fatalities has been confirmed as 22.

An eyewitness earlier told Neusroom that he counted 10 bodies in one morgue alone.

“At Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH), I counted dead bodies. And this is just one place where injured students were taken,” the witness, who did not want to be named, said.

Neusroom also confirmed that injured students were admitted to different hospitals for treatment, including Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos University Teaching Hospital, and AG Hospital.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in a Facebook post, said that rescue operations have ended.

“Some students have been treated and discharged, while 30 remain hospitalized, with 2 in intensive care,” the agency said.

The state commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms, in a statement, said that the government instructed hospitals “to ensure prompt medical attention and prioritise treatment without documentation or payment.”

Highlighting the reason for the collapse, the Commissioner claimed that the collapsed school building, situated in a waterlogged area, did not meet construction standards.

“The Jos Metropolitan Development Board will ensure that faulty buildings are brought down, and ongoing constructions will henceforth conform to standards,” Ashoms declared, stressing the urgency of adhering to proper building regulations to prevent future tragedies.

Building collapses have become common in Nigeria, with several incidents recorded in recent years.

Less than two weeks ago, a two-story building collapsed in Mushin, Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic capital. Authorities said the reason for the collapse was due to substandard materials.

Read More: Experts tell Neusroom the possible cause of constant building collapse in Lagos

Note: This page is being updated as we receive new information