Thirty-five children have been killed in a collision at a fun fair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan and six others hospitalized, police said.
The event was advertised as free entry and drew a large crowd, but so many people turned up that there was a stampede as they scrambled to gain entry.
Residents said over 5,000 children had gathered at the venue and a clash broke out when the main organizers arrived to start the event.
The sequence of events leading up to the crush has not been disclosed.
Police said they had arrested eight people behind the event, including the main organizer Naomi Silekunola, a well-known figure in the city.
The Oyo State Government said the victims were taken to hospitals in Ibadan for treatment following the crash at the Islamic High School in Bashorun district of the city.
It said there were “multiple casualties and injuries”.
Authorities urged parents worried about their children's whereabouts to check with hospitals in the city.