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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 people, including 4 kids, were killed in 2 different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to gather food and clothing items distributed at yearly Christmas events, the police stated Saturday.

The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated nation, amid a growing trend by regional organizations, churches and individuals to organize fundraiser 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 stated in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 individuals have been left from the church.

There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as dozens attempted to enter the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift products were to be shared, witnesses said, explaining that some had actually been waiting since the previous night.

"The method they were hurrying to get in, some people were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to save one child as his mother struggled in the rise.

Three individuals passed away in a similar crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity drive arranged by a benefactor, the state authorities said.

"The occasion had not even started when the rush started," authorities spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There might be more deaths recorded as officers examine the incident, he said.

Viral footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as individuals screamed for assistance. A few of the injured have actually been treated and discharged while others continue to receive medical care, authorities said.

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

As the church held a event after the crowd was left, the pain and unhappiness stayed palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event photos.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and relevant authorities to implement rigorous crowd control procedures.

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about precaution in such occasions. Several children were killed on Wednesday this week when a local structure organized a well-attended funfair to disperse gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most recent catastrophe, the police in Abuja announced that previous consent should be acquired before such charity events are arranged.

The current economic hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed "restored 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 actually pushed the regional currency to tape low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to mass protests in recent months. In August, a minimum of 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were arrested at protests requiring much better opportunities and jobs for youths.
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