School Tuition Block Collapses Killing Several Children
Several children have died after a school tuition block collapsed while the students were in class on Friday morning.
Saints Academy, in Nigeria in the state capital, Jos, caved in while students were in class on Friday morning.
Pupils who were trapped were calling for help from under the rubble, AFP reported, with parents frantically searching for their children.
The National Emergency Management Agency has not confirmed the number of casualties but said “several students” were killed.
School Tuition Block Collapses Killing Several Children
According to the report by AFP news agency at least 16 students are dead.
The school is believed to have more than 1,000 pupils.
Local resident, Abel Fuandai, reported that his friend’s son had been killed and said “the scale of the tragedy is frightening”.
He said emergency rescue team officials were racing to save those trapped and using excavators to dig through the rubble.
Residents reported that house collapsed after three days of heavy rain but the cause of the collapse is not known.
The pupils were in class on Friday morning writing an exam.
Chika Obioha, a resident added that a number of dead bodies and dozens of people had been rescued.
School Tuition Block Collapses Killing Several Children
“Everyone is helping out to see if we can rescue more people,” he said.
In recent years several major building collapsing in Nigeria have been reported with observers blaming a mix of bad workmanship, poor quality materials and corruption.
In 2021 at least 45 people were killed when a high-rise building under construction collapsed in a wealthy Lagos neighbourhood.
