13 People Including Children Die In Stampedes In Nigeria At

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, consisting of four children, were eliminated in two different stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to collect food and clothing items dispersed at annual Christmas events, the authorities said Saturday.


The 2 accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amid a growing pattern by local organizations, churches and individuals to organize charity events ahead of Christmas, as the country battles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.


Ten individuals were killed in the very first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, police spokesman Josephine Adeh said in a statement, including that more than 1,000 people have been left from the church.


There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as lots attempted to go into the facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses stated, mentioning that some had actually been waiting because the previous night.


"The way they were hurrying to go into, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to rescue one child as his mother had a hard time in the surge.


Three people died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity event organized by a philanthropist, the state police said.


"The event had actually not even started when the rush started," police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the occurrence, he said.


Viral video footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as people screamed for aid. A few of the hurt have been dealt with and discharged while others continue to get medical care, police said.
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The church canceled the charity event with bags of rice and clothes products still organized within the premises.


As the church held a marital relationship ceremony after the crowd was evacuated, the misery and sadness stayed palpable even as friends and families gathered for wedding event images.
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Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and appropriate authorities to enforce stringent crowd control procedures.
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The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about precaution in such events. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday this week when a regional foundation arranged a well-attended funfair to disperse gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.


After the current catastrophe, the cops in Abuja announced that prior approval must be before such fundraiser are arranged.


The existing economic hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "restored hope" when he was sworn into office in May 2023, is blamed on rising inflation that is at a 28-year high and the federal government ´ s economic policies that have pushed the local currency to record low versus the dollar.


Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to mass demonstrations in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds of others were jailed at protests demanding better chances and jobs for young individuals.