ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, consisting of 4 children, were killed in two different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds collected to collect food and clothes products distributed at yearly Christmas occasions, the cops said Saturday.

The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous country, amidst a growing pattern by local organizations, churches and people to organize fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the nation battles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten individuals were killed 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 spokesperson Josephine Adeh stated in a declaration, adding that more than 1,000 individuals have been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as lots tried to go into the facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the present products were to be shared, witnesses stated, mentioning that some had actually been waiting since the previous night.

"The way they were rushing to get in, some people were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he managed to save one child as his mother had a hard time in the surge.
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Three people passed away in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a fundraiser arranged by a benefactor, the state police said.

"The event had actually not even started when the rush began," Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths taped as officers investigate the event, he stated.

Viral video that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as individuals yelled for assistance. A few of the injured have actually been treated and released while others continue to receive medical care, police said.
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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 left, the pain and sadness remained palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event photos.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' households and asked states and appropriate authorities to enforce rigorous crowd control measures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about precaution in such events. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday today when a regional foundation arranged a well-attended funfair to distribute present products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most recent catastrophe, the police in Abuja revealed that previous authorization must be obtained before such fundraiser are arranged.
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The present financial challenge 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 regional currency to tape-record low against the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually resulted in mass demonstrations in current months. In August, a minimum of 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were jailed at protests requiring much better chances and jobs for young people.