13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) – A minimum of 13 people, including 4 kids, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds gathered to collect food and clothing items distributed at annual Christmas events, the authorities said Saturday.

The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous country, amid a growing trend by regional organizations, churches and people to arrange charity occasions ahead of Christmas, as the nation battles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten people 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, police spokesman Josephine Adeh said in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 people have actually been evacuated from the church.

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

“The method they were rushing to enter, some individuals were falling and some of them were old,” Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to save one baby as his mother had a hard time in the surge.

Three individuals died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town at a fundraiser arranged by a philanthropist, the state cops stated.

“The event had actually not even begun when the rush began,” authorities spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said. There might be more deaths recorded as officers investigate the incident, he said.

Viral video footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless on the ground as people yelled for assistance. Some of the hurt have actually been dealt with and discharged while others continue to get treatment, police said.

The church canceled the charity drive with bags of rice and clothes products still set up within the premises.

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was left, the pain and sadness stayed palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding pictures.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims’ households and asked states and relevant authorities to impose rigorous crowd control procedures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised questions about security procedures in such events. Several children were killed on Wednesday today when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to disperse present items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most recent catastrophe, the authorities in Abuja announced that previous authorization needs to be obtained before such fundraiser are organized.

The existing financial difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed “renewed hope” when he was sworn into workplace in May 2023, is blamed on rising inflation that is at a 28-year high and the federal government ´ s economic policies that have actually pushed the local currency to tape-record low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to mass demonstrations in current months. In August, a minimum of 20 individuals were shot dead and numerous others were detained at protests demanding much better opportunities and tasks for young individuals.