13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) – At least 13 people, including 4 children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds gathered to collect food and clothes products distributed at yearly Christmas events, the police said Saturday.
The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated nation, amid a growing pattern by regional companies, churches and individuals to organize fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the country fights with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Ten people 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, cops spokesperson Josephine Adeh stated in a statement, adding 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 facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the present products were to be shared, witnesses said, mentioning that some had been waiting because the previous night.
“The way they were rushing to go into, some people were falling and some of them were old,” Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to rescue one baby as his mom had a hard time in the rise.
Three people passed away in a similar crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town at a charity drive organized by a benefactor, the state authorities stated.
“The occasion had actually not even begun when the rush began,” authorities spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths taped as officers examine the event, he said.
Viral footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals screamed for aid. Some of the injured have been dealt with and discharged while others continue to get healthcare, authorities said.
The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothes items still set up within the facilities.
As the church held a marriage ceremony after the crowd was left, the pain and unhappiness stayed palpable even as families and good friends collected for wedding event photos.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims’ households and asked states and relevant authorities to implement stringent crowd control measures.
The recent stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised questions about security procedures in such events. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday this week when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to disperse gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
After the newest catastrophe, the police in Abuja announced that prior permission should be gotten before such charity events are arranged.
The current economic difficulty under Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed “renewed 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 pressed the regional currency to tape-record low versus 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 apprehended at demonstrations demanding much better opportunities and jobs for youths.