13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At > 자유게시판

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, including four kids, were killed in 2 different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to gather food and clothes products dispersed at yearly Christmas occasions, the police said Saturday.

The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amid a growing pattern by regional organizations, churches and people to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the country battles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

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, authorities spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 people have actually been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to get in the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, said, pointing out that some had actually been waiting since the previous night.

"The method they were hurrying to enter, some individuals were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to rescue one infant as his mother struggled in the rise.

Three people died in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity occasion arranged by a philanthropist, the state police stated.

"The occasion had not even started when the rush started," police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers examine the occurrence, he stated.

Viral footage 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 dealt with and released while others continue to receive treatment, cops said.

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

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was evacuated, the pain and unhappiness stayed palpable even as friends and families gathered for wedding images.

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

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about security steps in such events. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday today when a regional foundation arranged a well-attended funfair to disperse gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most recent disaster, the police in Abuja revealed that previous consent should be obtained before such charity drive are organized.

The current economic challenge under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "restored hope" when he was sworn into workplace 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 local currency to tape-record low against 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 numerous others were jailed at demonstrations demanding much better chances and tasks for youths.