ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, consisting of 4 kids, were eliminated in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds gathered to collect food and clothing products dispersed at annual Christmas events, the cops said Saturday.
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The two accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated country, amidst a growing trend by local organizations, churches and to arrange fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the country has a hard time with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
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, cops spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a declaration, including 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 attempted 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 people were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he managed to save one infant as his mother struggled in the surge.
Three individuals died in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity event arranged by a benefactor, the state cops stated.
"The event had not even begun when the rush started," police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths recorded as officers examine the event, he said.
Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as people yelled for help. Some of the hurt have actually been dealt with and discharged while others continue to receive healthcare, authorities stated.
The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothes items still set up within the properties.
As the church held a wedding after the crowd was left, the agony and unhappiness remained 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 relevant authorities to enforce rigorous crowd control steps.
The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about security steps in such occasions. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday today when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to disperse gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
After the most recent catastrophe, the cops in Abuja announced that prior permission must be acquired before such charity drive are arranged.
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The existing economic difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed "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 pushed the local currency to record low against the dollar.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to mass demonstrations in current months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds of others were arrested at protests demanding better opportunities and tasks for young people.
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