ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, consisting of four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds gathered to gather food and clothes items distributed at annual Christmas events, the police said Saturday.
The two accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated country, amid a growing trend by regional organizations, churches and individuals to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the nation fights with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Ten individuals were killed in the first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, cops spokesperson Josephine Adeh stated in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the church.
There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to go into the facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the present products were to be shared, witnesses said, mentioning that some had been waiting since the previous night.
"The way they were rushing to enter, some people were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to rescue one child as his mom struggled in the rise.
Three individuals died in a similar crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity drive organized by a benefactor, the state cops stated.
"The event had actually not even begun when the rush started," authorities spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There might be more deaths tape-recorded as officers examine the occurrence, he said.
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Viral footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals yelled for aid. A few of the hurt have been treated and released while others continue to receive treatment, cops stated.
The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothing products still arranged within the premises.
As the church held a marriage ceremony after the crowd was evacuated, the pain and sadness stayed palpable even as households and friends collected for wedding pictures.
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Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his compassion with the victims' households and asked states and relevant authorities to impose strict crowd control measures.
The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about safety measures in such events. Several were eliminated on Wednesday today when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to distribute present items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
After the current disaster, the police in Abuja announced that previous approval should be acquired before such charity occasions are organized.
The existing financial challenge under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed "renewed hope" when he was sworn into office in May 2023, is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government ´ s financial policies that have actually pressed the local currency to tape low versus the dollar.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in mass protests in current months. In August, a minimum of 20 people were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at protests demanding better chances and tasks for youths.
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