The Plateau State Government has confirmed that 22 people died and 132 were injured in the collapse of a school building in Jos.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Musa Ashoms, stated that six of the injured are in critical condition.
Ashoms said, “Those injured are receiving treatment in various tertiary health facilities in the state, while the bodies of the deceased have been deposited in the mortuaries.”
The two-storey building of Saints Academy, a secondary and primary school in the Busa-Buji community of Jos North Local Area, collapsed on Friday morning at about 8:30 a.m. Students and teachers were trapped inside as they were writing their third term examinations.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau described the incident as a tragic and monumental loss for the state. In a statement issued by Mr. Gyang Bere, his Director of Press and Public Affairs, the governor expressed his sympathy for the affected families.
“This is tragic, unfortunate, heart-wrenching, and a gloomy situation,” Mutfwang said. “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.”
The governor has directed relevant government agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency and Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, to provide necessary support to the 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 of Executive Order 003, recently signed into law, Mutfwang explained that its purpose is to protect citizens from such disasters.
“The rationale for 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.
