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 lifeless and 7 injured, police informed The Related Press, a stunning development at a program that aimed to supply hope to the needy. One witness mentioned the useless included a pregnant girl and plenty of youngsters.

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

Such events are widespread in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, where more than 80 million individuals live 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 safe their place in line, Iringe-Koko mentioned. Somehow the locked gate was damaged open, creating a stampede, she stated.

Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Company said first responders had been able to evacuate the our bodies of those trampled to demise and bring them to the morgue. Safety forces cordoned off the world.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the lifeless and providing any assistance they may to emergency staff. Doctors and emergency staff treated a few of the injured as they lay in the open field. Videos from the scene showed the clothing, shoes and different items meant for the beneficiaries.

One witness who only recognized himself as Daniel said "there were so many youngsters” among the many dead. Five of the lifeless kids have been from one mother, he told the AP, including that a pregnant lady also lost her life.

Some church members have been attacked and injured by kin of the victims after the stampede, based on witness Christopher Eze. The church declined to comment on the situation.

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

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 in the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, whereas at least 16 people had been killed in 2014 when a crowd received out of control throughout a screening for government jobs within the nation's capital, Abuja.

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