Scores of students at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, escaped death on Wednesday evening after their classrooms collapsed while sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
The classrooms collapsed during a downpour accompanied by a windstorm.
The students, along with teachers, corps members, and external supervisors, were reportedly trapped in the collapsed structures and had to be rescued by local residents who responded swiftly to the incident.
Several students, both male and female, sustained varying degrees of injuries, with some reportedly suffering fractures to their limbs.
A resident, DanAzumi Lauris, said the incident happened around 6pm, shortly after the second set of students had begun their exams.
“It was the second batch of students still writing their exams that got trapped. The first set had already finished and left.
“The rain came suddenly with strong winds, and the old classroom structures couldn’t withstand it,” he said.
He added that the windstorm not only brought down the school buildings but also destroyed several homes in the community.