Many students writing the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Taraba State’s Gassol Local Government Area, narrowly escaped death on Wednesday evening when their classrooms collapsed during a downpour and windstorm.
The pupils, along with teachers, corps members, and external supervisors, were apparently trapped inside the collapsing structures and had to be rescued by local locals who responded quickly to the disaster.
Several male and female students were injured to varied degrees, with some reportedly suffering limb fractures.
The patients are currently being treated at a primary healthcare centre in the town.
A resident, Alhaji 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 noted that the windstorm not only toppled the school buildings but also wrecked several residences in the town.
In a related situation, students in Jalingo, the state capital, were impacted by Wednesday’s heavy rain.
Some applicants were compelled to stay at their exam centres until after 1 a.m. because severe rain made it hard to get home earlier.
There was also a reported late arrival of the WAEC paper for the day, which delayed exam writing till 8 p.m., when some centres received the paper.
