Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has announced immediate closure of Saint Academy School and ordered full investigation into the building collapse that killed 22 and injured 132 persons.
The governor gave the order for the school closure when he visited the collapsed building premises in the Busa Buji, Jos North Local Government Area of the state for assessment of situation as he went round the school premises, with the school principal and staff on ground to receive him.
“It is unfortunate what has happened but of course what it means is that this school is closed down immediately. We can’t take any further chances and we need to send this message particularly to owners of private schools,” Muftwang said.
“The motive for profit must not overshadow the safety of lives. And so we are going to take steps immediately to do a technical audit of all the schools, we are going to test their structural integrity to ensure that human beings can inhabit such buildings.”
The school building caved in while they were in class on Friday. While the dead bodies have been deposited in different morgues in the state, the 132 injured persons are receiving treatment at different hospitals.
“As of 6:00 pm, 154 people have been rescued from the debris. Sadly, 22 individuals have been confirmed deceased,” the Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communication Musa Ashoms said this in a Friday evening statement.
“Injured students and staff are receiving medical treatment at various hospitals across Jos.”
