School Building Collapses In Jos, Several Pupils Feared Dead

A school, Abu Naima Primary and Secondary School, located in the Bukuru area of Jos, the Plateau state capital, collapsed on Sunday evening, killing a yet unknown number of  pupils.

A witness, Awal Ahmed, said at least seven bodies have been removed from the rubble of the building.

The incident, Mr. Ahmed said, occurred at about 6:30pm local time just as the school, said to be a private Islamic institution, was holding its evening classes.

The witness told PREMIUM TIMES several other pupils were badly injured.

“So far, seven dead bodies have been evacuated from the building, but several others are believed to still be in the rubble,” he said.

Most of the affected pupils are believed to be between the ages of six and seven.

It was gathered that more than 30 pupils do attend the Sunday classes to learn how to read the Quoran, and that several of them were present when the incident occurred.

The spokesperson for the Plateau state command of the police could not be reached for comments.

His telephone was switched off the several times PREMIUM TIMES called.

However, the North-central Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mohammed Abudulsalam, confirmed the incident.

Mr. Abdulsalam said a rescue team from the agency had arrived the scene of the incident, recovering seven bodies, and rescuing five other “badly injured” victims alive.

He said the injured persons were rushed to Plateau Specialist Hospital in Jos.

The NEMA official however declined to provide the exact number of casualties in the incident, saying rescue work was still ongoing.

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