Dozens of students writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) narrowly escaped death on Wednesday evening after a classroom block collapsed at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The incident occurred during a heavy downpour accompanied by a strong windstorm, which brought down the aging school structures. Students, teachers, corps members, and external supervisors were reportedly trapped under the debris before being rescued by community members who responded swiftly.
Several students sustained varying degrees of injuries, with some reportedly suffering broken limbs.
All injured individuals are currently receiving treatment at a nearby Primary Healthcare Centre.
A local resident, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, who spoke with The PUNCH by phone, said the collapse happened around 6 p.m., shortly after the second batch of students had begun their exams.
“It was the second group still inside the hall when the building collapsed. The first batch had already completed their exam and left,” he said.
“The rain came suddenly with strong winds, and the old classroom buildings couldn’t withstand the force.”
The storm also caused damage to several homes in the surrounding community.
In a related development, students in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, were also affected by Wednesday’s severe weather.
Some candidates were stranded at examination centres until after 1 a.m. due to heavy rainfall and flooding, which made it unsafe to return home.
There were also reports of a delayed delivery of WAEC papers, resulting in exams starting as late as 8 p.m. in some centres.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, were unsuccessful, as her phone line was unreachable at the time of filing this report.