22 dead, 132 injured in Plateau school building collapse
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The Plateau State Government has confirmed 22 deaths and 132 injured persons, from the Jos collapsed school building, NAN reports.
NAN said that the Commissioner for Information in the state, Mr. Musa Ashoms, said six of the injured were in critical condition.
Ashoms said that those injured were receiving treatment in various tertiary health facilities in the state, while the bodies of the deceased had been deposited in the mortuaries..
NAN reports that a two-storey building of Saints Academy, a secondary and primary school located at Busa-Buji community of Jos North Local Area, had collapsed , trapping students, teachers and others.
The incident occured at about 8:30 a.m. on Friday, when the students were writing their third term examination.
Meanwhile, Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, has described the incident as a tragic and a monumental loss to the state.
Mutfwang stated this in a statement issued by Mr. Gyang Bere, his Director of Press and Public Affairs, on Friday in Jos.
The governor, who sympathised with the families of the affected victims, further described the incident as heart-wrenching and unfortunate.
”This is 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.
”I have directed the relevant government agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, to provide necessary support to survivors.
”Words cannot fully comfort the grieving families over their immense loss, so we pray that God will continue to console and uphold them during this difficult period,” Mutfwang said.
Highlighting the significance and broader purpose of Executive Order 003, recently signed into law, Mutfwang clarified that its intent was to safeguard citizens from such disasters.
”The rationale for the executive order 003 is to prevent Jos from deteriorating into a slum, and to ensure compliance with building regulations in line with the Greater Jos Master Plan,” the governor said.
A Huge Loss,’ Tinubu Sympathises With Victims Of Plateau Building Collapse
President Bola Tinubu has sympathised with the victims of the Plateau building collapse over the incident he labelled as a “huge loss to the nation”.
While consoling the victims and the people of Plateau State over the incident, Tinubu’s spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said his principal received the news of the tragedy “with profound grief”.
‘Too Excruciating To Imagine’
“President Tinubu describes the unfortunate incident as a huge loss to the nation, as well as a devastating development – too excruciating to imagine,” Ajuri said in a late Friday statement.
“The President condoles with the bereaved families, families of all the victims, and the people and Government of Plateau State.”
Tinubu lauded emergency responders like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), security agencies, and everyone involved in the search, rescue, and resuscitation efforts.
He is assuring the people of Plateau State of his fervent support at this difficult time.
The Plateau State Government is pleading with citizens of the state to come to Plateau Specialists Hospital to donate blood to safe lives of pupils rescued from collapsed school building in Jos.
State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon Musa Ashom, made the appeal in a statement in Jos Friday evening.
The statement which is being aired at regular intervals on the state-owned radio and television stations appealed to every able-bodied to come forward for blood donation.
The statement reads, “As a result of the immense casualties from the collapse of a school building in the Busa Buji area of Jos North Local Government Area, the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Communication Plateau State, Ibrahim Musa Ashoms, is appealing to the sense of humanity of members of the public to donate blood at major and government hospitals in the city.
“This is to meet the overwhelming need of victims of the collapse and save lives of mainly schoolchildren. This emergency situation requires emergency aid from citizens”.
As at the time of filing this report, the rescue operations by NEMA, SEMA, FRSC, Federal and state fire service were still ongoing at the site of the collapsed building.
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