22 CONFIRMED DEAD, 132 INJURED IN PLATEAU SCHOOL BUILDING COLLAPSE

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A school in the Busa Buji, Jos North Local Government Area of the state collapsed, resulting in 22 fatalities and 122 injuries, according to the Plateau State Government.

This was said in a statement released on Friday night by Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms.

“As of 6:00 pm, 154 people have been rescued from the debris. Sadly, 22 individuals have been confirmed deceased,” the statement read.

“Injured students and staff are receiving medical treatment at various hospitals across Jos.”

Ashoms had earlier visited the scene of the collapsed two-storey structure and said while the school had a population of 400 students, the section that was affected had about 200 persons.

He said emergency workers took the survivors to hospital.

“To ensure prompt medical attention, the government has directed all major hospitals in Jos to prioritize treatment of the victims, regardless of documentation or payment,” the commissioner said.

“Governor Barrister Mutfwang has specifically instructed these hospitals to accommodate all those affected by the collapse.”

Ashom lamented that the collapsed structure did not meet the standards for buildings and warned schools that have similar structures to shut down.

“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.

Building disasters are fairly common in Africa’s most populous nation because of lax enforcement of construction standards, negligence, and low-quality materials.

At least 45 people were killed in 2021 when a high-rise building under construction collapsed in the upscale Ikoyi district in Nigeria’s economic capital Lagos.

Ten people were killed when a three-storey building collapsed in the Ebute-Metta area of Lagos the year after.

Since 2005, at least 152 buildings have collapsed in Lagos, according to a South African university researcher investigating construction disasters.

Bad workmanship, low-grade materials, and corruption to bypass official oversight are often blamed.