A tragedy was narrowly averted in Taraba State on Wednesday when classrooms at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area, collapsed during a heavy downpour, injuring dozens of students and staff.
The incident occurred while final-year students were writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), prompting panic and a chaotic evacuation involving students, teachers, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving as exam officials.
Eyewitnesses reported that a violent storm began around 6 p.m., shortly after the second group of students commenced their exams. The powerful wind and heavy rainfall brought down the already weakened school structures, trapping several people under the debris.
While many managed to escape, several students and invigilators were injured, some with fractures and serious trauma. According to community members, local residents helped in the rescue efforts, pulling out victims hours after the collapse.
Confirming the incident, a Namnai resident, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, said the first batch of students had completed their exams before the storm struck. “It was the second set that got caught when the rain started. The classrooms collapsed just minutes after the exam began,” he told reporters by phone.
Victims were rushed to a nearby primary healthcare centre for emergency treatment. In addition to the school buildings, the storm damaged multiple houses across Namnai town, worsening the community’s plight.
What you should know
A collapsing classroom during WASSCE in Taraba injured students and exam officials amid a fierce storm. Locals rescued victims, highlighting urgent infrastructure and safety concerns in rural Nigerian schools.
