One Dead, Another Seriously Injured After Section of School Building Collapses in St. Andrew

KINGSTON, JAMAICA — September 1, 2026: One man is dead and another has been seriously injured after a section of a building collapsed at Balcombe Drive Primary and Junior High School in Olympic Gardens, St. Andrew.

Police and firefighters responded to the school after the structure came down while work was reportedly being carried out on the building.

According to an eyewitness account reported by the Jamaica Gleaner, the two men were working on the structure and were reportedly using a jackhammer on a column when the column gave way.

One man was found dead at the scene. The second man was rushed to hospital with serious injuries. Police, firefighters and funeral-home personnel were all observed at the location following the collapse.

Investigation Expected Into What Caused the Collapse

At this stage, authorities have not publicly released the identities of the two men or a full official account explaining exactly why the structure failed.

The eyewitness account provides an early indication of what may have happened, but the precise cause of the collapse will need to be determined by investigators.

Questions are likely to focus on the condition of the building, the type of work being carried out, whether the column was load-bearing, and what safety measures were in place at the time.

Those questions should not be treated as conclusions until the relevant authorities complete their investigation.

School Located in Olympic Gardens

Balcombe Drive Primary and Junior High School serves the Olympic Gardens area of St. Andrew, which is associated with the wider Waterhouse community.

The incident comes at a sensitive time for Jamaica’s education system as schools prepare for the new academic year.

Across Jamaica, several schools are also undergoing construction, repairs or reconstruction. Some institutions are still recovering from significant damage caused by Hurricane Melissa last year, with education officials acknowledging that work remains underway at schools in several parishes.

There is currently no indication that the Balcombe Drive collapse was connected to hurricane damage.

Safety Questions After Fatal Incident

The death is expected to raise concerns about construction and workplace safety, particularly when major structural work is carried out on school property.

Work involving structural columns can carry significant risks if surrounding sections of a building are not adequately supported.

However, CanJam News stresses that it has not yet been established publicly whether any safety violation contributed to this incident.

Authorities will need to determine the circumstances surrounding the work and whether proper procedures were followed.

One Family Now Mourning

Beyond the investigation, the incident has resulted in the loss of a life and left another person seriously injured.

The name of the deceased man had not been publicly released at the time of publication.

Further information is expected as police and other authorities continue examining the scene.

CanJam News will continue monitoring this developing story and provide updates when additional verified information becomes available.