A calamitous event occurred in the Jos North district of Plateau State, Nigeria on Friday, July 12, 2024. The Saint Academy, a local school, collapsed, causing the tragic loss of at least 22 students’ lives. The school building, which was two stories high, fell apart during exam time, trapping 154 students under its wreckage.
Immediately after the collapse, rescue operations were initiated. Mechanical diggers and volunteers tirelessly worked to save the students trapped under the debris. According to Alfred Alabo, the spokesperson for Plateau police, 132 students were successfully rescued and provided medical treatment at various hospitals. Regrettably, 22 students didn’t survive the incident.
Wulliya Ibrahim, a student who was injured in the incident, spoke to the media about his harrowing experience. “I entered the class not more than five minutes when I heard a sound, and the next thing, I found myself here,” he told the press. He added, “We are many in the class; we are writing our exams.”
The Plateau state government has attributed the school’s collapse to its weak infrastructure and its location near a riverbank. They believe that the heavy rains preceding the incident likely worsened the building’s structural vulnerabilities. The government has advised schools with similar structural flaws to close immediately to prevent future incidents.
Local resident Chika Obioha, who was present at the scene, shared observations about the frantic rescue efforts. “Everyone is helping to see if we can rescue more people,” he said, adding that he saw numerous injured students and several bodies being removed from the debris.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is spearheading the search and rescue operations, alongside other critical stakeholders. NEMA released a statement stressing the urgency of the situation and their collaboration with security and health personnel to ensure all trapped victims are located and given immediate medical care.
To facilitate immediate medical attention, the government has directed hospitals to prioritize treatment without demanding any documentation or payment. This ensures that all injured students receive necessary medical care without delay.
UNICEF Nigeria representative Cristian Munduate expressed sorrow over the incident on social media. “Devastated by the loss of young lives at Saint Academy,” he wrote. “Children full of dreams were writing exams when the school building collapsed. Deepest condolences to families affected.”
This incident underscores the recurring problem of building collapses in Nigeria, which is the most populated country in Africa. These collapses are mainly due to poor enforcement of building standards, negligence, use of subpar materials, and corruption. Over the past years, several major building collapses have taken place in Nigeria, leading to significant loss of life.
In 2021, a high-rise building under construction in the Ikoyi district of Lagos crumbled, resulting in at least 45 fatalities. The following year, a three-story building in the Ebute-Metta area of Lagos fell, causing the deaths of 10 individuals. Since 2005, Lagos alone has seen the collapse of at least 152 buildings, according to research by a South African university scholar studying construction disasters.
The Plateau state government has pledged to thoroughly investigate the Saint Academy collapse and hold those accountable responsible. In the meantime, the community is grappling with the loss of young lives and the trauma caused by this disaster.
