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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, consisting of four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothes items distributed at annual Christmas occasions, the authorities said Saturday.

The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amidst a growing pattern by regional companies, churches and people to organize charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the nation deals with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
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Ten people were killed in the 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 stated in a statement, including that more than 1,000 individuals have been left from the church.

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

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

Three individuals died in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a fundraiser arranged by a benefactor, the state cops stated.

"The occasion had actually not even begun when the rush began," police representative Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the incident, he stated.

Viral video footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as people shouted for help. Some of the hurt have actually been treated and released while others to get treatment, cops said.

The church canceled the charity drive with bags of rice and clothing items still arranged within the premises.

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

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his compassion with the victims' families and asked states and appropriate authorities to enforce rigorous crowd control measures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about safety steps in such occasions. Several children were killed on Wednesday today when a local structure arranged a well-attended funfair to disperse gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most recent disaster, the authorities in Abuja announced that previous consent needs to be gotten before such charity drive are organized.

The present financial hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "restored 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 economic policies that have actually pushed the regional currency to tape-record low against the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in mass protests in current months. In August, a minimum of 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at demonstrations requiring much better chances and tasks for youths.
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