22 reported dead after Nigerian school building collapses

July 13 (UPI) -- Students were busy taking exams when a two-story school building collapsed and killed at least 22 in central Nigeria.

On Friday, local officials in Nigeria's Plateau State capital Jos reported the students were inside the Saint Academy when it collapsed and trapped many beneath the rubble.

The school has more than 1,000 students.

The collapse killed at least 22 and injured about 30 others, Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency told media.

Local officials said the collapse occurred three days after heavy rains inundated the area, but the collapse was preventable.

"The government describes the incident as an avoidable tragedy, citing the school's weak structure and unsafe location near a riverbank," Plateau State government officials said in a statement.

Local government officials ordered local hospitals to treat the patients without requiring payment or documenting each case.

Government officials also urged other local schools with similar safety problems to close.

Many buildings in Nigeria suffer from poor-quality building materials and a lack of construction regulations that make such collapses relatively common.