By Tajudeen Balogun
Students who are writing the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as well as teachers, corps members, and external supervisors, were trapped in a classroom building as the complex collapsed.
The incident which happened in Taraba State
on Wednesday amidst heavy downpour, windstorm, has triggered fears amongst students and teachers.
The New Diplomat learnt that several students, both male and female, with the officials who were rescued by residents sustained various degrees of injuries, with some reportedly suffering fractures in their limbs.
Reports show that they are currently receiving treatment at a nearby Primary Healthcare Centre in the town.
A resident who witnessed the collapse said the incident happened around 6:00pm, shortly after the second set of students had begun their exams.
He explained that it was when the second batch of students were still writing their exams that the building came down and the victims got trapped.
“The rain came suddenly with strong winds, and the old classroom structures couldn’t withstand it,” the witness narrated.
He added that the windstorm did not only bring down the school buildings, but also destroyed several homes in the community.
The New Diplomat checks revealed that students in Jalingo, the State capital, were also affected by Wednesday’s heavy downpour.
Consequently, some candidates were forced to remain in their exam centres, until after 1:00am, as the torrential rain made it impossible to return home earlier.
The New Diplomat reports that many students in the country were affected yesterday due to late arrival of question papers, a situation which resulted in many candidates writing English Language papers in the night. Taraba State was one of the worst hits, in the strange development.
WAEC has however attributed the delay and schedule disruption to its renewed efforts to curb examination malpractice.
