Hundreds of final year students and teachers, including National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, narrowly escaped death on Wednesday after their classrooms collapsed during a heavy downpour at Government Secondary School, Namne, in Gassol local government area of Taraba State.

The students were in the midst of writing their West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams when strong winds and heavy rainfall struck, causing the building to cave in. Eyewitnesses said the storm struck at about 6 p.m., shortly after the second batch of students had commenced their papers.

Many of the victims, including both male and female students, sustained serious injuries. Some reportedly suffered fractures to their limbs. Teachers, exam supervisors, and corps members were also trapped under the rubble and were rescued after several hours by local residents.

A resident of Namne, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, who spoke with The Guardian via telephone, said the first set of students had completed their exams and left the building before the incident.

“It was the second set that got caught when the rain started. The classrooms collapsed just minutes after the exam began,” he said.

According to Lauris, the injured were rushed to a nearby primary healthcare center for treatment. He also reported that the windstorm destroyed several houses in the town in addition to the school building.

In a related development, heavy rainfall also disrupted WAEC examinations in Jalingo, the state capital, where many students were unable to return home until after 1 a.m. due to flooding and poor visibility caused by the prolonged storm.

Authorities, at the time of filing this report, have yet to issue an official statement regarding the extent of the damage or whether the examination schedule will be adjusted.