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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, consisting of four children, were eliminated in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to collect food and clothes products distributed at annual Christmas occasions, the authorities stated Saturday.
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The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amidst a growing trend by local organizations, churches and individuals to arrange charity of Christmas, as the nation 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, police spokesman Josephine Adeh said in a declaration, adding that more than 1,000 people have actually been evacuated from the church.
There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens attempted to go into the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift products were to be shared, witnesses stated, explaining that some had actually been waiting since the previous night.
"The way they were rushing to get in, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to save one baby as his mom struggled in the surge.
Three individuals died in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity occasion arranged by a benefactor, the state police said.
"The occasion had actually not even begun when the rush began," cops representative Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers examine the incident, he stated.
Viral video that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as people screamed for help. A few of the hurt have been treated and released while others continue to receive healthcare, authorities said.
The church canceled the charity drive with bags of rice and clothing products still arranged within the properties.
As the church held a wedding after the crowd was evacuated, the agony and unhappiness remained palpable even as friends and families gathered for wedding event pictures.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' households and asked states and relevant authorities to impose stringent crowd control steps.
The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised concerns about precaution in such events. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday today when a regional foundation arranged a well-attended funfair to distribute gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
After the most recent catastrophe, the police in Abuja announced that prior permission must be gotten before such charity drive are arranged.
The existing financial 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 financial policies that have pressed the local currency to tape 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 arrested at demonstrations requiring better chances and jobs for young people.