WASSCE Candidates, Corpers, Invigilators Trapped as Exam Hall Collapses in Taraba Storm

Dozens of students sitting for 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 after their classrooms collapsed during a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds.

The incident occurred around 6pm while the second batch of candidates was writing their papers. The earlier group had completed their exams and left the premises before the storm began. Witnesses say the storm hit suddenly, and the old school structures were unable to withstand the intensity of the wind, leading to the collapse.

Students, teachers, corps members, and external supervisors were trapped in the rubble before being rescued by community members who quickly responded to the emergency. Several students, both male and female, sustained injuries, with some reportedly suffering fractures. They are currently receiving treatment at a nearby primary healthcare centre in Namnai.

A resident, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, confirmed the incident via a phone interview, stating that the windstorm also caused damage to residential homes in the area. He described the collapse as devastating and expressed concern over the poor state of infrastructure in the community.

Meanwhile, candidates in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, were also affected by Wednesday’s severe weather. Torrential rains left some students stranded at their examination centres until after 1am, as roads became impassable. Compounding the problem was the delayed delivery of the WAEC examination papers, with some centres receiving them as late as 8pm.

Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, for comments were unsuccessful as her phone line was unreachable at the time of filing this report.