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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 people, including four kids, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to gather food and clothing products distributed at annual Christmas occasions, the police stated Saturday.
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The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amid a growing pattern by local companies, churches and individuals to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the country deals with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten individuals were killed in the very 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 statement, including that more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as lots tried to go into the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift products were to be shared, witnesses stated, pointing out that some had been waiting because the previous night.

"The method they were rushing to get in, some people were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to save one infant as his mother struggled in the surge.

Three people passed away in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity event organized by a philanthropist, the state authorities said.

"The occasion had actually not even started when the rush began," cops spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. There might be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the incident, he stated.

Viral video that seemed from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as people yelled for . A few of the hurt have actually been dealt with and released while others continue to get healthcare, authorities said.

The church canceled the charity event with bags of rice and clothing products still set up within the facilities.

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was evacuated, the agony and sadness stayed palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding images.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and relevant authorities to impose stringent crowd control steps.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about safety steps in such occasions. Several children were killed on Wednesday today when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to disperse present items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current catastrophe, the police in Abuja revealed that prior consent should be acquired before such charity occasions are organized.
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The existing financial difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "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 federal government ´ s financial policies that have actually pressed the local currency to record low against the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually resulted in mass demonstrations in recent months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and numerous others were arrested at demonstrations requiring much better opportunities and jobs for youths.