Kids among 31 killed at church fair stampede in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria -- A stampede Saturday at a church charity event in southern Nigeria left 31 folks dead and 7 injured, police advised The Associated Press, a surprising development at a program that aimed to supply hope to the needy. One witness stated the useless included a pregnant girl and lots of children.

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

Such events are widespread in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, the place more than 80 million people reside in poverty, in response to government statistics.

Saturday’s charity program was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. however dozens arrived as early as 5 a.m. to secure their place in line, Iringe-Koko said. In some way the locked gate was broken open, creating a stampede, she mentioned.

Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency said first responders were able to evacuate the our bodies of those trampled to death and convey them to the morgue. Security forces cordoned off the area.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the dead and providing any help they could to emergency employees. Doctors and emergency staff treated a number of the injured as they lay within the open subject. Videos from the scene confirmed the clothing, footwear and different objects meant for the beneficiaries.

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

Some church members had been attacked and injured by relatives of the victims after the stampede, in line with witness Christopher Eze. The church declined to touch upon the scenario.

The police spokeswoman mentioned the seven injured had been “responding to treatment."

The “Store for Free” event was suspended whereas authorities investigated how the stampede occurred.

Nigeria has seen related stampedes previously.

Twenty-four individuals died at an overcrowded church gathering within the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, while a minimum of 16 individuals have been killed in 2014 when a crowd acquired out of control throughout a screening for government jobs within the nation's capital, Abuja.

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