Jos School Building Collapse: Death Toll Rises, Dozens Injured.
No fewer than 20 bodies were recovered and taken to three mortuaries in Jos, following the catastrophic collapse of the Saint Academy school building in the city. Other 78 persons are being treated for injuries at various hospitals in the state capital.
The sad incident happened this morning at Saint Academy, Busa Buji, in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. The incident occurred at about 11 a.m. while the students were taking their exams, only for the entire building to crumble, trapping scores of students and their teachers in the debris.
Desperate parents thronged the hospitals to find out the conditions of their children.
Investigations have revealed that five bodies were taken to the Our Lady of Apostles Hospital Mortuary, while 27 others are receiving treatment for their injuries. The Bingham Teaching Hospital Morgue has taken in eight bodies, with 16 others currently receiving treatment, while two deaths have been recorded at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, with 34 injured students, two of whom have spinal cord injuries.
This is apart from the prompt medical attention being received by the injured at Jos University Teaching Hospital and other hospitals around the metropolis.
There have been reports of the deployment of five Hilux vehicles with 30 troops from Operation Safe Haven, a joint security task force, to assist in the rescue operation. Excavators are working through the day and night, joined by volunteers, security men, and members of the Red Cross, to rescue the remaining students trapped under the rubble.
As a result of the incident, hospitals have been ordered by the Plateau state government to treat victims without demanding any documents or paying for services. Similar instructions are issued to major hospitals in Jos for treating those whose fate was changed by the collapse of the building.
There are estimates of as many as 200 people trapped at this building site, most of whom have been saved.
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