In a devastating tragedy on Friday, at least 21 lives, primarily students, were lost when a school collapsed during exams in central Nigeria's Jos North district, Plateau State. Witnesses and reports from the Red Cross described harrowing scenes of trapped students pleading for rescue under the rubble, while anguished parents desperately searched for their children amidst the chaos.

Efforts to reach victims were hindered by the collapse's aftermath, with rescue teams employing heavy machinery to sift through the debris. Images from the scene depicted crowds gathered around the collapsed concrete structure, highlighting the scale of the disaster.

Nuruddeen Hussain Magaji of the Red Cross reported 21 fatalities and 69 injuries requiring hospitalization across various facilities. Earlier assessments at Jos hospitals revealed 16 deceased victims, all wearing school uniforms.

Wulliya Ibrahim, a student recovering in hospital, recounted, "I entered the class not more than five minutes, when I heard a sound, and the next thing is I found myself here. We are many in the class, we are writing our exams."

Initial reports from the National Emergency Management Agency indicated that the two-storey building housing Saint Academy collapsed, claiming multiple student lives. Witnesses on the ground, like Chika Obioha, described seeing numerous bodies and scores of injured individuals, with community members mobilizing to assist in rescue efforts.

At the Bingham University Teaching Hospital and Our Lady of Apostles Hospital in Jos, officials confirmed receiving 11 and five deceased respectively, while treating at least 15 rescued and injured students.

The cause of the collapse, which occurred after several days of heavy rains, remained unclear. Unfortunately, building collapses are not uncommon in Nigeria due to lax construction standards, negligence, and the use of substandard materials.

Recent years have seen similar tragedies, underscoring systemic challenges in construction oversight and safety practices. In 2021 alone, 45 lives were lost in Lagos when a high-rise under construction collapsed, with additional incidents highlighting persistent issues of poor workmanship and corruption bypassing regulatory controls.

This latest disaster has once again highlighted the urgent need for enhanced building regulations and enforcement across Nigeria to prevent such heartbreaking losses in the future.