On Friday, a devastating incident unfolded in central Nigeria as a school building collapsed while students were in class, resulting in several casualties. The emergency services in Nigeria reported that the collapse occurred at Saint’s Academy in the city of Jos. The heart-wrenching scene was captured on Nigerian television, showing rescue efforts underway amid the rubble of the two-story building.
The aftermath of the collapse revealed a grim sight, with one part of the building still standing while the other section, including the sizable corrugated iron roof, lay scattered on the ground. The heavy rains that had been lashing Jos in recent days have only added to the challenges faced by the rescue teams, with more stormy weather predicted for the upcoming week.
A message shared on a Facebook page associated with the school informed that numerous students were trapped inside the collapsed building, and the full extent of the casualties was yet to be determined. The National Emergency Management Agency confirmed that both injured and deceased students were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Building collapses are a recurring issue in Nigeria, with Farouk Salim, the director general of the country’s public regulatory agency, acknowledging the high frequency of such incidents. According to a recent report by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, over 600 buildings have collapsed in the past 40 years, with 22 incidents already recorded this year alone.
The prevalence of substandard building materials, insufficient soil testing during construction, and lack of proper supervision and maintenance are cited as leading factors contributing to building collapses in Nigeria. These issues are further exacerbated by adverse weather conditions, intensifying the risks associated with structural failures.
As the rescue operation continues at the site of the school collapse, the nation mourns the tragic loss of lives and grapples with the urgent need for stricter adherence to building safety standards to prevent such disasters in the future.
