13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) – A minimum of 13 individuals, including four kids, were eliminated in 2 different stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds gathered to collect food and clothing products dispersed at annual Christmas events, the authorities stated Saturday.
The two accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous country, amid a growing trend by regional companies, churches and individuals to arrange charity events ahead of Christmas, as the nation deals with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Ten people 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, cops spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a declaration, including that more than 1,000 people have been left from the church.
There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to go into the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the present products were to be shared, witnesses said, explaining that some had been waiting because 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 infant as his mom had a hard time in the rise.
Three people died in a similar crush later in the southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town at a charity drive organized by a benefactor, the state authorities said.
“The event had not even begun when the rush started,” authorities representative Tochukwu Ikenga said. There might be more deaths taped as officers investigate the occurrence, he said.
Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as people yelled for assistance. Some of the injured have been dealt with and released while others continue to receive healthcare, police said.
The church canceled the charity drive with bags of rice and clothes products still organized within the facilities.
As the church held a wedding after the crowd was evacuated, the misery and sadness remained palpable even as friends and families gathered for wedding event pictures.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims’ households and asked states and relevant authorities to impose rigorous crowd control measures.
The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about safety procedures in such events. Several children were killed on Wednesday today when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to distribute present products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
After the most recent disaster, the police in Abuja announced that prior permission needs to be gotten before such charity drive are organized.
The present economic difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured “restored 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 economic policies that have pressed the regional currency to tape-record low against the dollar.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in mass demonstrations in recent months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were jailed at demonstrations demanding much better and jobs for youths.
