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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, including 4 kids, were eliminated in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds collected to collect food and clothing items distributed at yearly Christmas events, the cops stated Saturday.

The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous country, in the middle of a growing pattern by local organizations, churches and individuals to organize charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the country fights with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
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Ten individuals 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, police spokesman Josephine Adeh said in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as lots attempted to enter the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the present items were to be shared, witnesses stated, explaining that some had actually been waiting given that the previous night.

"The way they were rushing to enter, some individuals were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to save one baby as his mother struggled in the surge.

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

"The occasion had not even started when the rush started," authorities spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths taped as officers investigate the occurrence, he said.

Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as people shouted for assistance. A few of the injured have actually been dealt with and discharged while others continue to get treatment, police stated.

The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothes items still organized within the premises.
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As the church held a wedding after the crowd was left, the misery and sadness stayed palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event images.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his compassion with the victims' households and asked states and appropriate authorities to impose stringent crowd control procedures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised concerns about precaution in such occasions. Several kids were eliminated on Wednesday today when a local foundation organized a well-attended funfair to distribute present products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current disaster, the authorities in Abuja announced that prior authorization should be gotten before such charity events are arranged.

The existing financial difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "renewed 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 pressed the regional currency to versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and numerous others were jailed at protests requiring much better chances and tasks for youths.