Nigeria: 10 children killed as school collapses in Jos

At least 10 children have been killed and more than 24 injured after a primary and secondary school building collapsed in the Nigerian town of Jos. The initial death toll was of four, but other children died after being taken to the Plateau Specialist Hospital and a hospital in Bukuru.

The two-storey Islamic school, Abu Na'ima, collapsed on Sunday (13 September) evening following heavy rain. It is believed the building was unfinished and could not hold the additional floors that had been added. Investigations on the causes of the collapse are ongoing, but some believe the accident occurred due to heavy rain and the extra floors. It is not clear whether other people are trapped under the rubble.

The building was used in the evenings and during weekends to teach children Islamic studies. Mrs Ibrahim, the mother of two children who survived, told the Vanguard: "My children have always been going there though people in the area complain about the building.

"On that Sunday, they left home before 4pm to attend their studies. I was at home when people started running and I was informed that the building collapsed, maybe because of the heavy rain that fell. Two of my children were affected; one is more severely affected than the other."

Building collapses are common in Nigeria due to lack of compliance with building regulations. In September 2014, a multistorey church building run by the evangelist priest TB Joshua collapsed in Lagos, killing 116 people, mainly South Africans.

Joshua, who refused to testify in court, said the building collapsed due to a plane he said was flying over the church. The claim was dismissed by the court, which ruled Joshua's church – the Synagogue Church of All Nations – should be prosecuted for "criminal negligence" as the building was built without consent.