About 200 students were trapped in the school building which collapsed on Friday morning, according to Plateau Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Musa Ashoms.
Saints Academy, a secondary school in Jos, collapsed on Friday morning while students were writing their third term examination.
Already, the Plateau State Government has confirmed 22 deaths and 132 injured persons, from the collapsed school building, with six of the injured in critical condition.
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday evening said he received “the news of the tragic collapse of a school building, which resulted in multiple deaths and many surviving victims in Jos, Plateau State, with profound grief.”
According to a statement by Presidential Spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu described “the unfortunate incident as a huge loss to the nation, as well as a devastating development – too excruciating to imagine,” and condoling with the bereaved families, families of all the victims, and the people and Government of Plateau State.
The President commended emergency responders, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), security agencies, and all citizens involved in the search, rescue, and resuscitation efforts.
The Plateau State Commissioner, Ashoms, who visited the scene in the company of other Commissioners, including that of Secondary Education, said the school had a total population of about 400.
The Commissioner said part of the school that collapsed was accommodating about 200 students.
”The collapsed building has resulted in casualties, and injured students are still being evacuated to hospitals. We cannot however, ascertain the exact number of casualties until the evacuation is completed
“The emergency workers are doing a lot in the rescue efforts. The Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has urged the medical personnel in the hospitals to ensure that they save the lives of survivors.
“They should not ask for money or anything because this is an emergency situation,” he said.
The commissioner, however, said the incident had underscored the imperative of order 003 of the state government, which was meant to enforce the implementation of the Greater Jos Master Plan, to prevent such unfortunate incidences.
According to him, the collapsed school building, which is was built on a waterlogged area, clearly did not meet construction standards.
Ashoms said that the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) would ensure that faulty buildings were brought down, while ongoing constructions would henceforth conform to standards.
