At Least 22 People Die in Building Collapse in Nigeria
Building Collapsed in Nigeria, July 2024 Photo: @nemanigeria
July 12, 2024 Hour: 7:55 pm
Authorities indicate that the death toll may rise in the coming hours.
The government of the Nigerian state of Plateau confirmed on Friday that 22 people died after the collapse of a school building in Jos, known as the Holy Academy, while another 132 were injured.
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According to the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), more than 40 students were transferred to hospitals and the rescue operation has been completed, with the site cleared and secured. Some students have been treated and discharged, while 30 remain hospitalized and 2 in intensive care».
At least 12 students and one teacher had previously been reported dead, but rescue teams continued to work at the crash site.
The Information Commissioner, Musa Ashoms, in a statement, explained that the injured students and staff were treated in several hospitals in Jos as the State Specialist Hospital of Plateau, the Hospital Our Lady of the Apostles, Bingham University Teaching Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital.
Faced with the gravity of the event, the president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu expressed his deep regret for the tragic collapse.
Through a message on his social network account X, the president described the incident as a “huge loss to the nation” and a “devastating event” that is “too painful to imagine”.
“The president expresses his condolences to the bereaved families, the families of all the victims and the people and the government of the state of Plateau,” the text says.
For his part, the executive secretary of the NEMA, Sunday Abdu, announced that his staff was from the beginning in place to help in the rescue efforts.
Abdu mentioned that the staff of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) in collaboration with other agencies, worked in the area with earthmoving teams to rescue children under the rubble.
«We are already in place. Rescue operations are underway. The priority now is to rescue those who are trapped», he added.
The school, a two-storey building, is located in the village of Busa Buji, in the local government area of Jos North in Plateau state and the collapse occurred around 08H30 local time (07.30 GMT).
In Nigeria, building collapses were common, a problem attributed to the use of low-quality building materials and the negligence of the authorities in reviewing buildings.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: DW-Africanews
