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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, including four kids, were killed in two different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing items distributed at yearly Christmas occasions, the police stated Saturday.
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The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated nation, amidst a growing trend by regional organizations, churches and people to organize charity events ahead of Christmas, as the nation has problem with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Ten individuals 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 spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a declaration, adding that more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the church.
There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as lots tried to get in the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses stated, explaining that some had actually been waiting since the previous night.
"The method they were hurrying to go into, some people were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he managed to save one baby as his mother had a hard time in the rise.
Three people died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity occasion organized by a philanthropist, the state cops said.
"The occasion had not even begun when the rush began," cops spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths recorded as officers investigate the occurrence, he said.
Viral video footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as individuals yelled for help. A few of the injured have been treated and released while others continue to receive medical care, cops stated.
The church canceled the charity event with bags of rice and clothes products still set up within the properties.
As the church held a wedding after the crowd was evacuated, the pain and unhappiness remained palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event pictures.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and pertinent authorities to enforce strict crowd control procedures.
The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised concerns about safety steps in such occasions. Several children were killed on Wednesday this week when a regional foundation arranged a well-attended funfair to distribute gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
After the newest catastrophe, the cops in Abuja announced that previous authorization should be obtained before such fundraiser are arranged.
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The current economic challenge 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 that have pressed the regional currency to tape-record low versus the dollar.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to mass protests in current months. In August, a minimum of 20 people were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at protests demanding better chances and jobs for young people.
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13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At
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