Kids among 31 killed at church truthful stampede in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria -- A stampede Saturday at a church charity event in southern Nigeria left 31 people dead and 7 injured, police told The Related Press, a shocking growth at a program that aimed to offer hope to the needy. One witness said the dead included a pregnant girl and many youngsters.

The stampede on the event organized by the Kings Assembly Pentecostal church in Rivers state involved individuals who came to the church’s annual “Store for Free” charity program, according to Grace Iringe-Koko, a police spokeswoman.

Such events are frequent in Nigeria, Africa’s largest financial system, the place more than 80 million folks stay in poverty, according to authorities statistics.

Saturday’s charity program was supposed to start at 9 a.m. but dozens arrived as early as 5 a.m. to safe their place in line, Iringe-Koko stated. By some means the locked gate was broken open, creating a stampede, she stated.

Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s Nationwide Emergency Administration Agency said first responders were able to evacuate the our bodies of these trampled to demise and bring them to the morgue. Security forces cordoned off the area.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the useless and providing any help they may to emergency employees. Doctors and emergency workers treated a few of the injured as they lay within the open discipline. Videos from the scene showed the clothes, shoes and different gadgets meant for the beneficiaries.

One witness who only recognized himself as Daniel said "there have been so many youngsters” among the lifeless. 5 of the lifeless children had been from one mom, he instructed the AP, adding that a pregnant lady additionally lost her life.

Some church members have been attacked and injured by relations of the victims after the stampede, in keeping with witness Christopher Eze. The church declined to comment on the scenario.

The police spokeswoman mentioned the seven injured were “responding to therapy."

The “Shop for Free” event was suspended while authorities investigated how the stampede occurred.

Nigeria has seen related stampedes up to now.

Twenty-four individuals died at an overcrowded church gathering within the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, whereas at the least 16 folks were killed in 2014 when a crowd received uncontrolled during a screening for presidency jobs within the nation's capital, Abuja.

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Associated Press journalist Hilary Uguru in Warri, Nigeria, contributed.