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ABUJA, (AP) - At least 13 individuals, including four kids, were killed in two different stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to gather food and clothes products distributed at yearly Christmas events, the police stated Saturday.
The 2 accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated country, amid a growing trend by local organizations, churches and individuals to organize fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the country battles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
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Ten people were eliminated 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 statement, adding that more than 1,000 individuals have been evacuated from the church.
There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as lots attempted to get in the facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses said, explaining that some had actually been waiting because the previous night.
"The method they were hurrying to enter, some people were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to rescue one infant as his mother struggled in the surge.
Three people died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity occasion arranged by a philanthropist, the state police stated.
"The event had not even begun when the rush started," police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said. There might be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the incident, he stated.
Viral video footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as individuals screamed for aid. Some of the hurt have actually been treated and released while others continue to receive medical care, authorities stated.
The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothes items still organized within the facilities.
As the church held a wedding after the crowd was left, the misery and unhappiness remained palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event pictures.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' households and asked states and relevant authorities to impose strict crowd control procedures.
The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about safety steps in such occasions. Several kids were eliminated on Wednesday today when a local structure organized a well-attended funfair to distribute gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
After the current catastrophe, the police in Abuja revealed that previous approval must be acquired before such charity drive are arranged.
The present economic difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "renewed hope" when he was sworn into workplace in May 2023, is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the federal government ´ s economic policies that have pressed the local currency to tape low against the dollar.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and numerous others were apprehended at demonstrations requiring much better chances and jobs for youths.
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