School building collapse in Nigeria: At least 22 dead, 132 injured

The scene of the collapse of a two-storey building located on the Saint Academy campus in Plateau State, central Nigeria on July 12, 2024.

The tragedy occurred when the building of Saint Academy, a private primary and secondary school in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, suddenly collapsed while students were taking their matriculation examination on the morning of July 12.

Mr. Musa Ashoms, the person in charge of information and communication of Plateau state, said that as of the evening of July 12, rescue forces had pulled 154 people out of the rubble, including 22 bodies and 132 injured people, of whom 6 were in critical condition.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang called on rescue workers to urgently search for remaining victims.

In a separate statement, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed his grief over the tragedy.

Building collapses are common in Nigeria, and geotechnical experts say the cause of this situation is due to old and seriously degraded buildings, while many buildings do not comply with construction safety standards and use poor quality construction materials, leading to accidents.