Children 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 useless and seven injured, police informed The Associated Press, a stunning development at a program that aimed to offer hope to the needy. One witness mentioned the dead included a pregnant lady and many youngsters.

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

Such events are common in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, the place more than 80 million folks reside in poverty, in keeping with government statistics.

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

Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s National Emergency Administration Company mentioned first responders were able to evacuate the our bodies of these trampled to death and produce them to the morgue. Safety forces cordoned off the realm.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the lifeless and providing any assistance they might to emergency staff. Docs and emergency employees handled among the injured as they lay in the open field. Movies from the scene showed the clothes, footwear and other gadgets meant for the beneficiaries.

One witness who solely recognized himself as Daniel mentioned "there have been so many kids” among the lifeless. 5 of the dead kids had been from one mom, he instructed the AP, adding that a pregnant lady also lost her life.

Some church members had been attacked and injured by family 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 whereas authorities investigated how the stampede occurred.

Nigeria has seen similar stampedes prior to now.

Twenty-four folks died at an overcrowded church gathering within the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, while no less than 16 people have been killed in 2014 when a crowd got out of control during a screening for government jobs within the nation's capital, Abuja.

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