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 occurred around 6 p.m., while the second batch of students was still sitting for their exams. The storm caused the aging classroom structures to give way, trapping students, teachers, NYSC corps members, and external exam supervisors inside. Local residents quickly responded, rescuing those caught in the debris.
Several students—both male and female—sustained injuries, with some reportedly suffering fractured limbs. All injured victims are currently receiving treatment at a nearby Primary Healthcare Centre in the community.
A local resident, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, who spoke with The PUNCH via telephone, said, “The first group of students had already completed their exams and left. It was the second batch that got trapped when the storm hit. The structures simply couldn’t withstand the force of the wind.”
He also noted that the storm destroyed several homes in the area, in addition to the school buildings.
In a related development, heavy rainfall also disrupted exam activities in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital. Some WAEC candidates were reportedly stranded at their exam centres until after 1 a.m., as flooding and torrential rain made it unsafe to return home.
Additionally, delays in the arrival of the examination papers compounded the situation, with some centres not receiving their materials until 8 p.m., forcing students to write their exams late into the night.
Efforts to reach the state’s Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, for comment were unsuccessful as her phone line was unreachable at the time of reporting.