bit.ly
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, including four children, were killed in two different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds collected to gather food and clothing items dispersed at yearly Christmas events, the cops said Saturday.
The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amid a growing pattern by regional companies, churches and individuals to organize fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the nation battles 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, cops representative Josephine Adeh said in a statement, including that more than 1,000 people have been left from the church.
There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as lots tried to enter the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the present items were to be shared, witnesses said, explaining that some had been waiting considering that the previous night.
"The way they were hurrying to get in, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to save one child as his mom struggled in the rise.
Three individuals died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity occasion organized by a benefactor, the state police said.
"The occasion had not even begun when the rush started," cops spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths taped as officers examine the incident, he said.
Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as people screamed for help. Some of the hurt have been dealt with and discharged while others continue to get treatment, cops said.
The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothing products still arranged within the properties.
bet9ja.com
As the church held a wedding after the crowd was evacuated, the misery and unhappiness remained palpable even as families and friends gathered for wedding pictures.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and appropriate authorities to impose strict crowd control measures.
The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about safety measures in such occasions. Several kids were killed on Wednesday this week when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to disperse present products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
bit.ly
After the latest catastrophe, the authorities in Abuja announced that prior consent should be obtained before such fundraiser are arranged.
The current financial hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed "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 pushed the local currency to record low versus the dollar.
Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has caused mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and numerous others were apprehended at protests requiring much better chances and jobs for young people.
1
13 People Including Children Die in Stampedes In Nigeria At
charlalanger9 edited this page 1 month ago