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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, including four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds gathered to gather food and clothes products distributed at yearly Christmas events, the authorities stated Saturday.

The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated nation, amid a growing pattern by local organizations, churches and individuals to organize fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the country has a hard time with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

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

There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to get in the facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the present items were to be shared, witnesses stated, mentioning that some had been waiting given that the previous night.

"The method they were hurrying to go into, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he handled to rescue one child as his mom had a hard time in the rise.

Three individuals died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity event organized by a philanthropist, the state authorities stated.
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"The occasion had actually not even started when the rush started," authorities representative Tochukwu Ikenga said. There might be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the incident, he said.

Viral footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as individuals screamed for aid. A few of the hurt have actually been dealt with and discharged while others continue to receive medical care, cops said.

The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothes items still arranged within the facilities.

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

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his compassion with the victims' families and asked states and appropriate authorities to implement strict crowd control procedures.
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The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised concerns about precaution in such events. Several kids were eliminated on Wednesday this week when a regional structure arranged a well-attended funfair to distribute present items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current catastrophe, the cops in Abuja announced that prior authorization should be gotten before such charity drive are organized.

The existing financial difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed "renewed hope" when he was sworn into in May 2023, is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government ´ s economic policies that have actually pressed the local currency to tape low against the dollar.

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