Plateau declares three-day mourning for victims of Jos school building collapse

Plateau declares three-day mourning for victims of Jos school building collapse

The Plateau State government has declared three days of mourning for pupils and teachers who lost their lives in the Saint Academy School building collapse on Friday.

A total of 22 lives were lost and 132 others sustained injuries in the incident that occurred in the school located at Busa Buji, Jos North Local Government Area of the state.

The state government has ordered that all flags within the state be flown at half-mast during the three-day mourning, starting from July 13 to July 15 in honour of the victims.

This was made known in a statement signed by the Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms, on Saturday.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who visited the school on Saturday, extended his condolences to families affected by the incident and urged citizens to strictly follow building codes and ethics to prevent such tragedies.

“We offer our deepest sympathies and unwavering support to those affected during this incredibly difficult time. We are dedicated to providing the best possible medical care for the injured and will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the collapse,” Muftwang said.

“The safety and well-being of our citizens, especially our children, is our top priority. We urge all schools to comply with safety regulations and secure the necessary approvals from the JMDB before beginning any construction projects.”

Muftwang has also announced immediate closure of Saint Academy School and ordered full investigation into the building collapse.

“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.

“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 governor said.