At least 13 people, including four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as crowds gathered to collect food and clothing distributed during annual Christmas events, police said.
Both incidents come days after another such stampede in Africa's most populous country, amid a growing trend of local organizations, churches and individuals to hold charity events ahead of Christmas as the country grapples with its worst cost crisis in a generation. maintenance .
Ten people were killed in an early Saturday stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upscale area of the capital Abuja, police spokeswoman Josephine Adeh said in a statement. She added that more than 1,000 people were evacuated from the church.
Witnesses said a crowd surged at one of the church's gates as dozens of people tried to enter the church grounds around 4 a.m., hours before the gift distribution. Some had been waiting since the previous night, they added.
“They were in a hurry to get in, some people were falling and some were old,” said Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to save one child as his mother struggled against the wave.
The state police said three people were later killed in a similar accident in Okija, a town in the southeastern Anambra state, during a charity event organized by a philanthropist.
“The event had not yet started when the rush began,” said police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga. The death toll could rise as officials investigate the incident, he added.
Stampedes raise safety questions
The viral footage, believed to be from the scene in Abuja, showed dead bodies lying on the ground with people screaming for help. Police reported that some of the injured were treated and discharged, while the rest were still receiving medical care.
The church canceled a charity event, and bags of rice and clothes were still left on the premises.
When the wedding ceremony took place in the church after the crowd evacuated, the agony and sadness remained palpable, even as families and friends gathered for wedding photos.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and asked states and relevant authorities to implement stringent crowd control measures.
The panic raised questions about security measures used during such events. On Wednesday this week, several children were killed when a local foundation organized a well-attended amusement park to distribute gifts and food to children in southwestern Oyo State.
Following the latest disaster, the Abuja Police announced that permission must be obtained to organize such charity events.
Current economic difficulties under Tinubu – who promised “renewed hope” when taking the oath of office in May 2023 – have been blamed on rising inflation, which is at a 28-year high, and economic policies that have pushed the local currency to record lows in against the US dollar.
Frustration over the cost of living crisis has led to mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds more arrested during protests demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people.