Eighteen-year-old Mercy Illiya had been focused on her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at Government Day Secondary School, Namnai, Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State when everything changed in a matter of seconds.

A heavy downpour and windstorm tore through the sky that Wednesday evening, but it was the sound of a teacher?s urgent shout that saved her and her classmates from what could have been a tragic end.

Mercy was among five students who sustained injuries, including compound fractures when part of the classroom building collapsed during the storm.

Despite the chaos and confusion, it was the teacher?s sharp instincts and loud alarm that prevented a total disaster.

The classrooms collapsed during a torrential downpour that was accompanied by a violent windstorm. The fierce winds not only brought down parts of the school building but also wreaked havoc across the community, destroying several homes.

The rain was so severe that some candidates were stranded at the exam centre until after 1 am, unable to return home due to the flooded roads and dangerous weather conditions.

Speaking from her mother?s room in Anguwan Wurkum, Namnai, Mercy recounted the terrifying moment.

?I was running out when the pillars fell on me. I stood up but couldn?t move, I didn?t even realise my leg was fractured until my classmates helped me to a nearby health centre,? she recalled, wincing with pain.

Mercy?s left leg suffered a compound fracture. While her classmates escaped with minor injuries, Mercy and a few others were not as fortunate.

A corps member and several teachers also sustained injuries as the weakened structure gave way.

?The ceiling had started falling when one of our teachers shouted for us to run. If he hadn?t raised the alarm, many of us wouldn?t have made it out,? she said.

When Daily Trust visited the Illiya residence, Mercy?s parents were away, but her brother, Sunday Illiya, shared more details.

?My father and I rushed to the health centre after we got the news. The place was crowded with worried parents and community members. There was panic everywhere, but thank God no life was lost,? he said.

Sunday described a chaotic scene at the overwhelmed health centre, where Mercy lay unattended on a stretcher due to the influx of injured students.

?There were too many patients and not enough hands. We eventually brought her home and called a traditional bonesetter who charged us N30,000 to set the fracture,? he added.

With her leg in a cast and her spirit still recovering, Mercy watches her peers return to school and continue their exams. For now, she can only hope for a quick recovery and a chance to sit again for her remaining papers.

Another victim, Deborah Habila, also suffered a fracture on the left arm.

?I remember our teacher shouting for us to run, then everything went blank. I woke up on a hospital bed, surrounded by my family,? Deborah said.

She recounted being discharged without treatment at the hospital, and her parents subsequently took her to a traditional bonesetter, Mai Dori Karaya, for care.

Despite her pain, Deborah is optimistic. ?I?m getting better, though my back and arm still hurt. I hope to return to school soon,? she said.

Her father, Mr. Habila Jatau, expressed frustration over the lack of emergency preparedness at the local hospital.

Jatau told our reporter that panic quickly spread through the community following reports that many students were trapped in the collapsed classroom.

?We rushed to the hospital immediately after hearing that the injured students had been taken there. But there weren?t enough staff or medical equipment to attend to everyone, so I had no choice but to take my daughter back home,? he said.

Mr. Jatau explained that upon returning home, he swiftly arranged for a traditional bonesetter to treat his daughter?s fractured arm.

?She didn?t receive any treatment at the hospital because they had no drugs and were unprepared for such an emergency.

?I later called a private health worker to the house, and he administered some medication. Thankfully, she?s beginning to recover,? he said.

A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Bello Adamu, who narrowly escaped the collapse, said he was standing on the veranda when students began to flee.

?I didn?t know what was happening, but I ran too. That?s what saved me. My fellow corps member wasn?t as lucky, he was hit by falling debris,? he said.

Adamu also noted that the incident could have been far worse if not for the earlier postponement of the exam from morning to evening due to scheduling issues.

?Students only started arriving around 5:30 pm, and many weren?t yet inside the class when the storm hit,? he said.

?Few students inside when the classroom collapsed?

The principal of the school, Mrs. Watsi Danjuma, told Daily Trust that the quick thinking of a teacher, who noticed the ceiling was beginning to give way and raised the alarm, was what ultimately saved the students.

She also noted that the earlier postponement of the examination played a crucial role in minimising casualties.

?If all the students had been inside the classroom when it collapsed, it would have been a different story,? she said.

She added that only a few students were in the classroom at the time, while others were standing outside on the veranda.

As the structure began to fall apart, students and staff ran for safety, but some were unfortunately hit by falling debris, resulting in injuries.

Mrs. Danjuma explained that due to the limited capacity of the local hospital in Namnai, some of the injured students had to be referred to the General Hospital in Mutumbiyu, the headquarters of Gassol Local Government Area, where they received proper medical attention and were later discharged.

?We thank God that no lives were lost. All the injured students and teachers were treated and discharged, and many of the students were able to continue with their examinations, even on the same day the incident occurred,? she said. (Daily Trust, but headline rejigged)

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