13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At
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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, including 4 children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothes items distributed at annual Christmas events, the police stated Saturday.
The two accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated country, amid a growing trend by local companies, churches and individuals to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the 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, police representative Josephine Adeh said in a declaration, adding that more than 1,000 people have been left from the church.
There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to go into the facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses said, explaining that some had been waiting because the previous night.
"The method they were hurrying 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 child as his mother had a hard time in the surge.
Three people died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity occasion organized by a benefactor, the state cops said.
"The event had actually not even begun when the rush began," police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers examine the event, he said.
Viral video footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as individuals shouted for assistance. A few of the injured have actually been treated and discharged while others continue to receive medical care, cops stated.
The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothing items still arranged within the facilities.
As the church held a wedding after the crowd was evacuated, the misery and sadness stayed palpable even as friends and families gathered for wedding pictures.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and relevant authorities to impose stringent crowd control steps.
The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about safety procedures in such occasions. Several kids were eliminated on Wednesday today when a local structure organized a well-attended funfair to distribute gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
After the most recent disaster, the authorities in Abuja revealed that previous authorization should be gotten before such fundraiser are arranged.
The current economic challenge under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "restored hope" when he was sworn into office in May 2023, is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the federal government ´ s financial policies that have pushed the local currency to tape-record low against the dollar.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually caused mass demonstrations in current months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at demonstrations demanding much better chances and jobs for youths.
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