13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) – A minimum of 13 people, consisting of 4 children, were eliminated in 2 different stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to gather food and clothing items dispersed at annual Christmas events, the police said Saturday.

The two accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous country, amid a growing pattern by local organizations, churches and individuals to arrange charity events ahead of Christmas, as the nation deals 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 spokesperson 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 attempted to go into the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the present items were to be shared, witnesses stated, pointing out that some had been waiting considering that the previous night.

« The way they were rushing to go into, some people were falling and some of them were old, » Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to rescue one child as his mother struggled in the surge.

Three individuals passed away in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town at a charity occasion arranged by a benefactor, the state police stated.

« The occasion had not even begun when the rush started, » police representative Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There might be more deaths taped as officers examine the event, he stated.

Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as individuals yelled for aid. A few of the injured have actually been treated and discharged while others continue to receive medical care, police stated.

The church canceled the charity drive with bags of rice and clothes items still organized within the properties.

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was left, the pain and unhappiness remained palpable even as friends and families gathered for wedding images.

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

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about precaution in such events. Several kids were eliminated on Wednesday this week when a local foundation organized a well-attended funfair to disperse present products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most recent disaster, the police in Abuja announced that prior authorization should be obtained before such fundraiser are organized.

The current financial hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed « 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 actually pushed the local currency to tape low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in mass demonstrations in current months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and numerous others were jailed at protests demanding better opportunities and jobs for youths.