Students escape death as school building collapses during WAEC Exams in Taraba

A tragic incident was narrowly averted in Taraba State on Wednesday evening when dozens of students sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area, were trapped after their classrooms collapsed during a rainstorm.

The downpour, which came with strong winds, brought down the aging classroom structures, trapping students, teachers, corps members, and external supervisors inside. It took the swift intervention of local residents to rescue those affected.

Several students reportedly sustained injuries, with some suffering fractures and other wounds. The injured victims are currently receiving treatment at a nearby Primary Healthcare Centre in the area.

Speaking to Newsmen, a resident, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, recounted the terrifying moment. “It was the second batch of students still writing their exams that got trapped. The first set had already finished and left,” he explained. “The rain came suddenly with strong winds, and the old classroom structures couldn’t withstand it.”

He also confirmed that apart from the school buildings, the storm destroyed several homes in the community.

Meanwhile, students in Jalingo, the state capital, were not spared the effects of the downpour. Many candidates had to remain at their examination centres until after 1am, as heavy rains made it impossible for them to return home earlier.

It was also gathered that a delay in the arrival of WAEC exam papers in some centres caused examinations to extend unusually late into the night, with some papers reportedly arriving at 8pm before students could begin.

Efforts to reach the Taraba State Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, for comments proved unsuccessful as her phone line remained unreachable as of press time.