A tragic incident occurred on Friday afternoon in the Busa Buji neighborhood of Jos North LGA, where the two-storey building of Saint Academy Secondary School collapsed, resulting in the deaths of numerous students.
Witnesses reported that the collapse caused immediate chaos, with grieving mothers and youths crying and wailing at the site. According to Northeast Star Newspapers, the school had produced many graduates in recent years, making this event a devastating blow to the community.
On the day of the incident, an unusual noise was heard coming from the building. As teachers investigated the source of the noise, the building suddenly gave way, trapping many students under the rubble. Rescue efforts were delayed as it took several hours before an excavator from the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) arrived to assist. By the time the rescue team managed to reach the site, several students had already succumbed to their injuries.
The collapse was exacerbated by recent heavy rains, which had flooded several neighborhoods in Jos. The weather likely contributed to the structural failure of the building.
Parents of the affected students, both wounded and deceased, were seen at ECWA Specialist Hospital in Jankwanu, openly mourning their losses. Sympathizers, particularly women, gathered to offer support to the grieving families.
Attempts to reach the General Manager of JMDB, Arc Hart Bankat, for comments were unsuccessful as he was actively involved in the rescue operations at the collapse site.
The community remains in shock and mourning as they come to terms with the magnitude of this tragedy. Further investigations are expected to determine the cause of the collapse and to prevent such incidents in the future.
