The Plateau State Government has expressed sadness over a school building which collapsed in Jos, the state capital, on Friday.
Seventeen (17) persons have been confirmed dead and over 120 persons trapped at the Saint Academy building located in the Busa Buji community.
The school building collapsed around 8.30 am on Friday when the students and teachers were in their classes.
The state Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms, disclosed in a statement on Friday that 120 persons were trapped under the rubbles while giving an update on the incident.
The statement read, “The Plateau State Government has expressed deep sadness over the tragic incident at Saint Academy Jos, where a building collapsed resulting in casualties and injured students and teachers still being evacuated to different hospitals within Jos
“The government describes the incident as an avoidable tragedy, citing the school’s weak structure and unsafe location near a riverbank.
“However, we commend the efforts of NEMA, SEMA, Red Cross and security agencies in rescuing trapped children and transporting them to hospitals.”
Ashoms disclosed that the government has instructed hospitals to prioritise treatment without documentation or payment.
He added, “The Commissioner of Health has also ordered all major hospitals in Jos to attend to the victims.
“Approximately 120 people were trapped, with many evacuated.
“The government emphasises the importance of adhering to safety standards, making Executive Order 003 sacrosanct. Schools with similar issues are urged to close down, enabling the Jos Metropolitan Development Board to prevent future incidents.”
Ashoms stated that the incident highlights the importance of prioritising safety standards to prevent tragedies.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Sunday Àbdu, who spoke after their rescue operation, confirmed that 17 persons have died as a result of the collapse
The SEMA boss, who described the incident as sad, said, “We have finished the rescue mission at least for today. We are just closing from the site.
“The fact remains that the casualty figures keep changing. In Bingham University Teaching Hospital Jos, there are 13 dead bodies and 43 persons receiving medical attention.
“In OLA Specialist Hospital, we have over 40 receiving attention. In Plateau Specialists Hospital, we have four dead bodies with 40 people receiving treatment.
“We also have some casualties who were evacuated to the Jos University Teaching Hospital but I don’t have the figure at the moment.”
