ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, including 4 kids, were eliminated in 2 separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing products dispersed at annual Christmas occasions, the police said Saturday.
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The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amidst a growing pattern by local companies, churches and individuals to organize fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the country has problem with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten individuals were eliminated in the very first stampede in the early hours at the Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, police spokesman Josephine Adeh said in a statement, including that more than 1,000 individuals have been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens attempted to enter the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses stated, mentioning that some had actually been waiting considering that the previous night.

"The way they were hurrying to enter, some individuals were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he handled to rescue one baby as his mother had a hard time in the rise.
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Three people died in a similar crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity drive arranged by a philanthropist, the state cops stated.

"The occasion had not even started when the rush began," police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the occurrence, he stated.
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Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as people yelled for aid. A few of the hurt have actually been treated and released while others continue to receive healthcare, police stated.

The church canceled the charity drive with bags of rice and clothes products still set up within the premises.

As the church held a marriage event after the crowd was left, the pain and unhappiness remained palpable even as friends and families gathered for wedding photos.

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

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised concerns about precaution in such events. Several kids were killed on Wednesday this week when a regional foundation arranged a well-attended funfair to distribute present products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current catastrophe, the authorities in Abuja announced that previous authorization must be acquired before such charity events are organized.

The current financial challenge under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "renewed hope" when he was sworn into workplace in May 2023, is blamed on rising inflation that is at a 28-year high and the federal government ´ s financial policies that have pressed the regional currency to tape-record low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in mass demonstrations in current months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and numerous others were detained at protests demanding much better opportunities and tasks for youths.