ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 people, consisting of 4 children, were eliminated in 2 separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds collected to collect food and clothing products distributed at yearly Christmas events, the authorities said Saturday.

The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, in the middle of a growing pattern by regional organizations, churches and people to organize charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the nation fights with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

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, adding that more than 1,000 individuals have been evacuated from the church.

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

"The way they were hurrying to enter, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to save one infant as his mom had a hard time in the surge.

Three people died in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity drive organized by a benefactor, the state cops said.

"The event had actually not even started when the rush started," police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the occurrence, he stated.

Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as people shouted for aid. A few of the hurt have actually been dealt with and released while others continue to get treatment, police stated.

The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothes items still set up within the facilities.
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As the church held a marriage ceremony after the crowd was left, the pain and sadness remained palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event photos.
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Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and appropriate authorities to impose 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 disperse present items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.
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After the most recent disaster, the cops in Abuja announced that prior permission must be obtained before such charity drive are organized.

The existing economic difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "restored 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 financial policies that have actually pushed the local currency to tape-record low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually led to mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were apprehended at protests demanding much better opportunities and tasks for youths.