Nigeria School Collapse Kills Several Students

Rescuers pulled at least seven bodies from the rubble of a collapsed school building in central Nigeria's Plateau state, a witness said.

The two-story structure crumbled around 7:30 GMT, raising fears of student and teacher casualties.

Five students have been rescued alive, according to local authorities. Rescue operations are ongoing, with security forces including soldiers and police at the scene.

Building collapses are common in Africa's most populous nation, often attributed to lax regulations and the use of substandard construction materials. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about building safety standards in Nigeria, where similar tragedies have occurred in recent years.

Local officials have not yet commented on the cause of the collapse or the total number of people who may have been in the building at the time of the incident.

Trapped students cried for help under the rubble after the Saint Academy school in Jos North district of Plateau State fell in on classrooms.

Officials have so far only said “several students” were killed but a reporter saw five dead bodies in one hospital morgue and 11 in another. All were wearing school uniforms.

The National Emergency Management Agency said the two-storey building housing Saint Academy collapsed, killing “several students.”

It said it had completed the search and rescue operation and would provide details later.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse but residents said it came after three days of heavy rains in Plateau.

Building disasters are fairly common in Africa’s most populous nation because of lax enforcement of construction standards, negligence and low-quality materials.

At least 45 people were killed in 2021 when a high-rise building under construction collapsed in the upscale Ikoyi district in Nigeria’s economic capital Lagos.