ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, including four kids, were killed in 2 different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing products dispersed at annual Christmas occasions, the authorities stated Saturday.
The two accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated country, amidst a growing trend by regional companies, churches and individuals to arrange fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the nation has problem with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
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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, authorities representative Josephine Adeh said in a statement, including that more than 1,000 individuals have been left from the church.
There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to go into the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift products were to be shared, witnesses stated, explaining that some had been waiting since the previous night.
"The method they were rushing to get in, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to save one baby 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 fundraiser organized by a philanthropist, the state cops said.
"The occasion had not even begun when the rush started," police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. There might be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the event, he stated.
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Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as for help. A few of the injured have actually been dealt with and discharged while others continue to get medical care, authorities stated.
The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothes products still arranged within the properties.
As the church held a marital relationship ceremony after the crowd was evacuated, the pain and sadness stayed palpable even as friends and families gathered for wedding event images.
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Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and relevant authorities to enforce stringent crowd control procedures.
The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised questions about precaution in such occasions. Several children were killed on Wednesday today 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 police in Abuja announced that previous permission needs to be acquired before such fundraiser are arranged.
The current financial difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "restored hope" when he was sworn into workplace in May 2023, is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government ´ s financial policies that have pushed the regional currency to tape-record low versus the dollar.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually resulted in mass demonstrations in current months. In August, a minimum of 20 people were shot dead and hundreds of others were jailed at protests demanding better chances and jobs for youths.