Dozens of students writing the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State narrowly escaped death on Wednesday evening when their classrooms collapsed during a heavy downpour accompanied by a violent windstorm.
The incident, which occurred around 6pm, reportedly left students, teachers, corps members, and external supervisors trapped under the fallen structures. They were rescued by local residents who quickly rushed to the scene.
Several students, both male and female, sustained various degrees of injuries, including broken limbs. The injured victims are currently receiving treatment at a nearby Primary Healthcare Centre.
A resident, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, told News Review in a phone interview that the second batch of students was still in the examination hall when the incident occurred. “The first set had finished and left. The rain came suddenly with strong winds, and the old classrooms couldn’t withstand it,” he said.
He also confirmed that the storm destroyed several houses in the community.
In a related development, candidates in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, were also affected by the same rainfall. Some students were stranded at their exam centres until after 1am due to the heavy downpour.
The day’s examination was further delayed in several centres following the late arrival of WAEC papers, with some centres receiving the materials as late as 8pm.
Attempts to reach the Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, were unsuccessful as her phone was not reachable at the time of filing this report.
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 at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State narrowly escaped death on Wednesday evening when their classrooms collapsed during a heavy downpour accompanied by a violent windstorm.){kind=link}