By Peter Dansu A classroom building collapsed on Wednesday evening at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area...
By Peter Dansu
A classroom building collapsed on Wednesday evening at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, trapping dozens of students sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The incident occurred during a heavy downpour accompanied by a fierce windstorm around 6 p.m., just after the second batch of candidates had begun their papers. The first group of students had already finished and left before the storm hit.
Students, teachers, NYSC corps members, and external supervisors were caught inside the structure when it gave way. Fortunately, local residents quickly mobilized and rescued those trapped under the rubble.
Several students, both male and female, sustained varying degrees of injuries, including broken limbs. The injured are currently receiving medical attention at a nearby primary healthcare centre.
A resident, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, who witnessed the incident, told The PUNCH in a telephone interview that the classroom blocks couldn’t withstand the intensity of the storm.
“The wind was really strong and the buildings were old. It all came down so fast,” he said.
Lauris also revealed that the storm didn’t just damage the school — it also tore through parts of the community, destroying several homes.
Meanwhile, in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, the same downpour disrupted WAEC exams in several centres. Some candidates were stranded at exam venues until after 1 a.m., unable to return home due to the flood.
Adding to their ordeal, the WAEC paper scheduled for the day reportedly arrived late at some centres, forcing students to begin their exams as late as 8 p.m.
Efforts to reach the state’s Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, were unsuccessful as her phone was not reachable at the time of filing this report.
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