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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 people, including four kids, were eliminated in two different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds collected to gather food and clothes products distributed at annual Christmas occasions, the police stated Saturday.

The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous country, amid a growing trend 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 eliminated in the very first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, authorities spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 people have actually been left from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as lots tried to get in the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift products were to be shared, witnesses said, pointing out that some had actually been waiting considering that the previous night.

"The method they were rushing to get in, some individuals were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he handled to save one child as his mother had a hard time in the rise.

Three in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity event organized by a philanthropist, the state authorities stated.

"The event had not even begun when the rush began," police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There might be more deaths tape-recorded as officers examine the incident, he stated.

Viral footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals screamed for help. A few of the injured have actually been treated and released while others continue to get treatment, police stated.

The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothing items still arranged within the premises.

As the church held a marital relationship ceremony after the crowd was evacuated, the pain and unhappiness stayed palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event images.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims' households and asked states and appropriate authorities to impose strict crowd control procedures.

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised concerns about safety measures in such occasions. Several kids were killed on Wednesday today when a local structure organized a well-attended funfair to distribute gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most recent catastrophe, the authorities in Abuja revealed that previous authorization needs to be obtained before such fundraiser are organized.

The existing financial hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "restored hope" when he was sworn into workplace in May 2023, is blamed on rising inflation that is at a 28-year high and the federal government ´ s financial policies that have actually pushed the local currency to tape-record low against the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually caused mass protests in current months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at protests demanding better chances and tasks for youths.