13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) – At least 13 individuals, including 4 children, were killed in 2 different stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to collect food and clothing items distributed at yearly Christmas events, the police said Saturday.

The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amid a growing pattern by regional companies, churches and people to organize charity occasions ahead of Christmas, as the nation battles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

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

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

“The method they were hurrying to go into, some individuals were falling and some of them were old,” Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to rescue one infant as his mother struggled in the rise.

Three individuals died in a similar crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town at a charity drive arranged by a philanthropist, the state cops said.

“The occasion had actually not even begun when the rush started,” authorities spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths recorded as officers examine the incident, he stated.

Viral video footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals shouted for assistance. A few of the injured have been dealt with and discharged while others continue to receive medical care, cops said.

The church canceled the charity drive with bags of rice and clothing items still set up within the facilities.

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was evacuated, the agony and unhappiness stayed palpable even as households and good friends gathered for wedding event photos.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu revealed his compassion with the victims’ families and asked states and pertinent authorities to enforce strict crowd control measures.

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about security steps in such occasions. Several kids were killed on Wednesday this week when a regional structure organized a well-attended funfair to disperse gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most recent disaster, the cops in Abuja revealed that prior consent needs to be obtained before such charity drive are arranged.

The present economic hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed “renewed 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 pressed the local currency to tape low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the has caused mass protests in current months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were arrested at demonstrations demanding much better opportunities and tasks for young people.