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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 individuals, including four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing products distributed at yearly Christmas events, the police said Saturday.
The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous country, amidst a growing pattern by regional organizations, churches and people to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the country fights with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
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Ten people were eliminated in the very first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, authorities spokesperson Josephine Adeh stated in a declaration, including that more than 1,000 people have been left from the church.
There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to get in the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses stated, pointing out that some had actually been waiting since the previous night.
"The way they were hurrying to get in, some people were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to save one child as his mother struggled in the surge.
Three individuals passed away in a similar crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a fundraiser arranged by a philanthropist, the state authorities said.
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"The event had not even started when the rush started," authorities representative Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths recorded as officers investigate the incident, he stated.
Viral video footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals shouted for aid. Some of the injured have actually been treated and discharged while others continue to receive medical care, authorities said.
The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothes products still set up within the premises.
As the church held a marriage ceremony after the crowd was evacuated, the pain and sadness remained palpable even as households and pals gathered for wedding pictures.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and appropriate authorities to impose strict crowd control measures.
The recent stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised concerns about precaution in such events. Several children were killed on Wednesday today when a regional foundation arranged a well-attended funfair to distribute present products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
After the catastrophe, the police in Abuja revealed that previous authorization should be gotten before such fundraiser are arranged.
The existing financial difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "renewed hope" when he was sworn into office in May 2023, is blamed on rising inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government ´ s financial policies that have actually pushed the local currency to tape low against the dollar.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to mass protests in current months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at demonstrations requiring much better opportunities and tasks for young individuals.