Discussion Board

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, consisting of 4 children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing products dispersed at annual Christmas occasions, the cops said Saturday.

The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated nation, amid a growing pattern by local organizations, churches and individuals to organize charity events ahead of Christmas, as the country fights 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 Josephine Adeh stated in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 individuals have actually been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as lots attempted to enter the facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses stated, pointing out that some had been waiting since 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 said he handled to rescue one child as his mom 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 charity occasion arranged by a philanthropist, the state authorities said.

"The event had actually not even started when the rush started," authorities representative Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths taped as officers the event, he said.

Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals yelled for assistance. A few of the hurt have actually been dealt with and discharged while others continue to receive healthcare, cops said.

The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothes items still set up within the properties.

As the church held a marriage event after the crowd was left, the pain and sadness stayed palpable even as friends and families gathered for wedding event photos.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' households and asked states and appropriate authorities to impose strict crowd control measures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about precaution in such events. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday today when a local structure arranged a well-attended funfair to disperse present items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current catastrophe, the authorities in Abuja announced that previous authorization needs to be acquired before such charity events are arranged.

The present economic hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "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 economic policies that have actually pressed the regional currency to record low against the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually caused mass demonstrations in recent months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were apprehended at protests demanding much better chances and jobs for youths.