THE Plateau State Government has reported that 22 persons have lost their lives and 132 others have sustained injuries following the collapse of a school in Busa Buji, Jos North Local Government Area of the state.
The statement was made this evening by the Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms.
According to the statement, as of 6:00 pm today, 154 people have been rescued from the wreckage, with 22 tragically confirmed dead.
The injured students and staff are currently receiving medical attention in various hospitals across Jos.
Ashoms, who previously visited the site of the building collapse, mentioned that out of the 400 students at the school, about 200 persons were in the affected section.
Emergency responders swiftly transported the survivors to hospitals.
The government has instructed major hospitals in Jos to prioritize the treatment of the victims, irrespective of documentation or payment, to ensure immediate medical care.
Governor Barrister Mutfwang has specifically directed these hospitals to accommodate all those impacted by the collapse.
Ashoms expressed concern that the collapsed structure did not adhere to building standards and advised schools with similar structures to cease operations.
He emphasized the need for schools with non-compliant buildings to shut down in the best interest of the state and its inhabitants, as a committee has been established to assess such structures.
Building collapses are a recurring issue in Nigeria due to inadequate enforcement of construction regulations, negligence, and the use of substandard materials.
For instance, in 2021, a construction accident in the upscale Ikoyi area of Lagos resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people.
Additionally, ten persons lost their lives in another incident involving a three-storey building collapse in the Ebute-Metta locality of Lagos the following year.
Since 2005, research conducted by a South African university indicates that around 152 buildings have collapsed in Lagos alone as a result of substandard workmanship, inferior materials, and corruption aimed at circumventing regulatory oversight.