Children 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 lifeless and seven injured, police advised The Associated Press, a stunning improvement at a program that aimed to offer hope to the needy. One witness mentioned the lifeless included a pregnant woman and many children.

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

Such occasions are widespread in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economic system, the place greater than 80 million individuals dwell in poverty, in accordance with government statistics.

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

Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s Nationwide Emergency Management Company stated first responders have been in a position to evacuate the our bodies of these trampled to loss of life and produce them to the morgue. Security forces cordoned off the realm.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the lifeless and offering any help they might to emergency employees. Docs and emergency workers treated some of the injured as they lay in the open area. Videos from the scene confirmed the clothes, footwear and different objects meant for the beneficiaries.

One witness who only recognized himself as Daniel said "there were so many children” among the dead. 5 of the lifeless kids were from one mother, he instructed the AP, including that a pregnant girl also misplaced her life.

Some church members had been attacked and injured by family of the victims after the stampede, according to witness Christopher Eze. The church declined to touch upon the situation.

The police spokeswoman stated the seven injured have been “responding to therapy."

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

Nigeria has seen related stampedes prior to now.

Twenty-four individuals died at an overcrowded church gathering within the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, whereas not less than 16 folks have been killed in 2014 when a crowd acquired uncontrolled throughout a screening for presidency jobs in the nation's capital, Abuja.

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