Several students killed and over 100 trapped after school collapse in Nigeria

A number of children have died and more than 100 others are trapped after a school building collapsed in central Nigeria.

The two-storey building, which belonged to Saint Academy college in Plateau state’s capital of Jos, collapsed at around 7.30am on Friday.

The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said "the exact number of deaths is still being confirmed".

At least 17 students have been killed, according to local media, while AFP quoted a Red Cross spokesman as saying that 21 people had been killed.

Nema said that at least 40 trapped students had been rescued and taken to local hospitals.

Rescue efforts are underway, with security personnel including soldiers and police at the scene.

Speaking from hospital, injured student Wulliya Ibrahim told AFP: "I entered the class not more than five minutes, when I heard a sound, and the next thing is I found myself here.

"We are many in the class, we are writing our exams," he said.

The state government blamed the tragedy on the school’s “weak structure and location near a riverbank” and urged schools facing similar issues to close down.

Building collapses have become more common in Nigeria, with authorities blaming the disasters on a failure to enforce building safety regulations and poor maintenance.

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