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1 13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, consisting of four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds collected to gather food and clothes products dispersed at annual Christmas events, the police said Saturday.
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The two accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated country, amid a growing pattern by local companies, churches and individuals to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the nation fights with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
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Ten individuals 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, authorities spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a declaration, adding that more than 1,000 individuals 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 facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the present products were to be shared, witnesses said, explaining that some had been waiting since the previous night.

"The way they were hurrying to enter, some individuals were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to save one baby as his mom had a hard time in the surge.

Three individuals passed away in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity occasion arranged by a philanthropist, the state cops stated.

"The occasion had not even begun when the rush began," cops spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers examine the event, he said.

Viral video footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as people screamed for aid. Some of the hurt have been dealt with and released while others continue to get healthcare, cops said.

The church canceled the charity drive with bags of rice and clothes items still organized within the premises.

As the church held a marital relationship event after the crowd was left, the pain and sadness remained palpable even as families and pals collected for wedding event pictures.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his compassion with the victims' families and asked states and relevant authorities to impose stringent crowd control steps.

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised questions about security measures in such events. Several kids were eliminated on Wednesday today when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to distribute present items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current catastrophe, the cops in Abuja revealed that prior permission must be obtained before such charity drive are arranged.
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The present financial hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "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 government ´ s economic policies that have pushed the regional currency to record low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in mass demonstrations in months. In August, a minimum of 20 people were shot dead and hundreds of others were arrested at demonstrations demanding better opportunities and jobs for young individuals.