Latest news School building collapses in Nigeria - at least 22 dead

Rescue workers are feverishly searching for survivors after the collapse of a two-storey school building in Nigeria. By midday on Saturday, a further 73 people had been rescued from the rubble, the Nigerian Red Cross announced on Platform X. The authorities in the West African country announced on Friday evening that at least 22 people had died in the collapse in the state of Plateau, most of them schoolchildren.

The exact number of victims is still unknown. The state government ordered a three-day mourning period for the victims of the accident on Saturday. The school was also ordered to close immediately.

More than 200 injured recovered

The injured were taken to hospitals with injuries of varying severity. The search for a child and a teacher is currently ongoing. By the evening, 132 injured people had been rescued. As the Commissioner for Information and Communication of Plateau Central State, Musa Ibrahim Ashoms, confirmed, the accident occurred during lessons at the Saint Academy Secondary School in the city of Jos. Around 200 pupils were reportedly in the collapsed part of the building.

The collapse of the two-storey building occurred after days of rainfall in the region. The authorities announced an investigation into the exact causes of the collapse.

In recent years, there have been repeated major building collapses in Nigeria with many fatalities. Most of them can be attributed to poor construction, inferior materials and corruption.

SDA