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Children killed in Nigeria school collapse
A number of children have died and more than 100 others are trapped after a school building collapsed in Nigeria’s central Plateau state, local officials say.
Saint Academy in the state capital Jos caved in while students were in class on Friday morning.
Trapped pupils were calling for help from under the rubble, AFP reported, with parents frantically searching for their children.
The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said “the exact number of deaths is still being confirmed”. Media reports say at least 17 students were killed.
In a post on X, Nema said more than 40 trapped students were rescued and taken to local hospitals.
Nigeria’s Punch newspaper reported 17 dead while the AFP news agency quoted Red Cross spokesman Nuruddeen Hussain Magaji as saying 21 people were killed.
The school is believed to have more than 1,000 pupils.
Local resident, Abel Fuandai, told the BBC that his friend’s son had been killed and said “the scale of the tragedy is frightening”. He said rescue workers and emergency officials were racing to save those trapped and using excavators to dig through the rubble.
The cause of the collapse is not known but residents said it came after three days of heavy rains in Plateau.
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.
Resident Chika Obioha said he had seen a number of dead bodies and that dozens of people had been rescued. “Everyone is helping out to see if we can rescue more people,” he said.
There have been several major building collapses in Nigeria in recent years, with observers blaming a mix of bad workmanship, poor quality materials and corruption.
In 2021, at least 45 people were killed when a high-rise building under construction collapsed in a wealthy Lagos neighbourhood.
In Johor, fast bowler Isani Vageesha’s 3 for 10 and offspinner Ritu Singh’s 2 for 8 rattled Ireland as USA got off to a strong start in the Women’s Under-19 World Cup. Their first match against Pakistan was abandoned due to rain.
After opting to bat, Ireland were all out for 75 in off 17.4 overs with Chetnaa Prasad, Aditiba Chudasama also chipping in with a couple of wickets each. USA chased down the target in 9.4 overs with opener Disha Dhingra top-scoring with 46 off 33. Dhingra smashed five fours and two sixes and put on 75-run stand with Chetna Pagydyala, who remained unbeaten on 23 not out. USA moved to the top of Group B with their eight-wicket win.
England also started their campaign with a convincing win over Pakistan in Johor. England’s first game was also washed out.
Seam-bowling allrounder Amu Surenkuma struck with consecutive deliveries in the fifth over, and then picked another wicket in the seventh to leave Pakistan flailing at 27 for 3. Allrounder Olivia Brinsden, offspinner Eve O’Neill and left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman then took two wickets each to skittle Pakistan out for 66. Only three batters made it to double-figures, with No. 5 Zoofishan Ayyaz’s 15 the highest score for Pakistan.
Then, despite being reduced to 19 for 3, England completed the chase with ease, with captain Aby Norgrove and wicketkeeper Katie Jones sealing a six-wicket win with more than 10 overs to spare. While Norgrove made an unbeaten 14 off 9 balls, Jones made 20 off 16, and hit the only six of the match to complete the victory.
Brief scores:
Ireland Women Under 19s 75 in 17.4 overs [Alice Walsh16, Freya Sargent 10, Lara McBride 13, Abbi Harrison 13; Aditba Chudasma 2-16, Ishani Vaghela 3-10, Ritu Singh 2-08, Saanvi Immadi 1-15, Chetnaa Prasad 1-12] lost to USA Women Under 19s 79/1 1n 9.4 overs [Disha Dhingra 46, Chetna Pagydyala 23*; Lara McBride 1-09] by nine wickets
Australia survived a scare against Bangladesh to complete their second straight victory in the Women’s under 19 World Cup. Chasing 92, they won with only two wickets in hand and four balls to spare.
Having lost the toss, Bangladesh slumped to 91 for 9 in 20 overs, with Afia Ashima top-scoring with 29 at No.7. Left-arm seamer Eleanor Larosa took two wickets in her first over to reduce Bangladesh to 18 for 3, and Caoimhe Bray and Tegan Williamson also picked up two wickets each.
Williamson was also needed at No. 10 in the chase, after Bangladesh offspinner Jannatul Maousa and some poor running between the wickets triggered Australia’s collapse from 50 for 1 to 86 for 8. But captain Lucy Hamilton’s 30 and Ella Briscoe’s 11 off 22 balls sealed a two-wicket win in Bangi.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh Women Under 19s 91/9 in 20 overs [Sumaiya Akther 13, Afia Ashima 29; Chole Ainsworth 1-23, Hasrat Gill 1-18, Caoimhe Bray 2-18, Eleanor Larosa 2-19, Tegan Williamson 2-12] lost to Australia Women Under 19s 92/8 in 19.2 overs [Kate Pelle 16, Ines Mckeon 14, Lucy Hamilton 30, Ella Briscpoe 11*; Nishita Akter Nishi 1-19, Anisa Akter Soba 1-18, Habiba Islam 1-12, Jannatul Maoua 3-15] by 2 wickets
Nigeria stunned New Zealand to post their maiden victory at the Women’s Under-19 World Cup. This was their first completed game in their maiden Under-19 World Cup appearance after their first match was washed out on Saturday.
In a rain-affected game reduced to 13 overs a side, Nigeria scored 65 for 6 with contributions from captain Piety Lucky and Lillian Udeh. The chase started with New Zealand losing their opener Kate Irwin first ball to a run-out. Emma McLeod, the other opener, departed in the third over off the right-arm seamer Usen Peace’s bowling. New Zealand kept losing wickets in the middle overs and were 49 for 5 at the end of 11 overs.
With 17 needed, the penultimate over fetched New Zealand eight runs with captain Tash Wakelin hitting a four off the last ball of the over. New Zealand needed nine off the final over but only managed only six runs off Udeh, as Nigeria sealed a thrilling two-run triumph.
Anika Todd and Wakelin made 19 and 18 respectively but that wasn’t enough for New Zealand.
Brief scores:
Nigeria Women Under 19 65/6 in 13 overs [Lillian Udeh 18, Lucky Piety 19; Anika Tauwhare 1-06, Hannah O’conner 1-11, Anika Todd 1-18, Tash Wakelin 1-06, Hannah Francis 1-04] beat New Zealand Women Under 19 63/6 in 13 overs [Eve Wolland 14, Anika Todd 19, Tash Wakelin 18; Usen Peace 1-05, Adeshola Adekunle 1-14, Lillian Udeh 1-08] by 2 runs
USA rattle Ireland in Johor
Australia survived a scare against Bangladesh
Nigeria stun New Zealand to set tournament alight
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