Scattered debris from a two-story building and intense search and rescue operation were seen in Plateau state’s Busa Buji community as Saints Academy College collapsed on Friday morning, leaving at least 22 dead. 

Footage shows emergency workers removing the rubble of the caved-in building in an attempt to save the trapped people and excavators combing through the debris. Dozens of residents can also be seen near the school, some weeping and others taking part in rescue operations as well as bringing the injured to ambulance vehicles. 

According to local media reports, the building’s collapse occurred early in the morning, when students arrived for classes. A total of 154 people were initially trapped under the rubble, however later it was confirmed by local police that 132 students were rescued. 

“There was a collapse of a building, we receive a distress call in which we quickly mobilize our volunteers coming here to do search and rescue, giving first aid and evacuation to hospital. And we were able to evacuate a lot of students that were trapped inside the two-story building at Saint Academy,” said Nurideen Usaini Magaji, Secretary of Red Cross Society of Nigeria. 

Pastor Chika, a resident of the area, said that when the building collapsed, he heard a sound resembling one of a ‘thunder.’ 

“When I came out I saw this school that collapsed, so I was one of them that brought people from the ground, I saved a lot of lives, that’s all I can say. I’m shocked of what happened, this is my first time of witnessing this kind of thing, I’ve never seen it before, I’m shocked even up till now, the shock is in my spirit,” explained Chika. 

It is not yet clear what caused the collapse, however, the state government said that “weak structure and location near a riverbank” could trigger the accident. 

In recent years there have been a few major building collapses in Nigeria, including the high-rise building under construction in Lagos neighbourhood which killed 45 people in 2021.

(Source: AFP)