Plateau State Commissioner of Information and Communication, Musa Ibrahim Ashoms, has given a breakdown of the number of fatalities in the St Academy school building collapse in the early hours of Friday, July 12.
Announcing the breakdown the honourable commissioner said a total of 154 persons were victims of the collapsed school building with 22 dead, while 132 others sustained various degrees of injuries.
The Commissioner in a press statement says rescuers are still searching for survivors adding that the injured are being treated at four different hospitals namely:
Plateau State Specialist Hospital; Our Lady of Apostles Hospital (OLA); Bingham University Teaching Hospital (Jankwano), and Jos University Teaching Hospital(JUTH).
Meanwhile the Honourable Commissioners has directed hospitals involved to prioritize treatment regardless of documentation or payment.
He ordered schools with structural concerns to close immediately and also requested that an investigation be conducted into the incident to ascertain the cause of the building collapse.
The Commissioner emphasized the importance of adhering to safety standards in building constructions whether schools or residential (private or commercial).
Ashom however extend condolences to the families affected and reiterated the state government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of citizens, especially children; regretting that this happened.