School building collapse kills 22 in Nigeria

Dozens were also injured in the incident, a police spokesperson has said

Twenty-two people were killed and 132 injured when a two-story school building collapsed in central Nigeria’s Plateau state, local authorities have said.

The Saint Academy building in the Busa Buji community collapsed around 07:30 GMT on Friday while students were taking their third-term exams. Officials have attributed the incident to the school’s “weak structure and its location near a riverbank.”  

Six of those injured are in critical condition, according to Musa Ashoms, the Nigerian Commissioner for Information. 

“To ensure prompt medical attention, the government has instructed hospitals to prioritize treatment without documentation or payment,” Ashoms said in a statement. 

The governor of Plateau state, Caleb Mutfwang, described the incident as “tragic, unfortunate, heart-wrenching, and a gloomy situation.” 

“We appreciate the timely intervention of the search and rescue team, as well as members of the public, who rushed to the school premises to assist in evacuating some of the surviving students and staff,” Mutfwang stated. 

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He has directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency to provide the necessary support to the survivors. 

In 2021, a 21-storey building under construction in Nigeria’s economic capital Lagos neighborhood collapsed, resulting in at least 45 fatalities.