Kids among 31 killed at church fair stampede in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria -- A stampede Saturday at a church charity occasion in southern Nigeria left 31 individuals useless and 7 injured, police informed The Associated Press, a shocking development at a program that aimed to supply hope to the needy. One witness said the dead included a pregnant woman and lots of youngsters.

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

Such occasions are common in Nigeria, Africa’s largest financial system, where greater than 80 million folks live in poverty, in accordance with 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 mentioned. In some way the locked gate was damaged open, creating a stampede, she said.

Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s Nationwide Emergency Management Company stated first responders have been able to evacuate the bodies of these trampled to dying and convey them to the morgue. Safety forces cordoned off the world.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the useless and providing any assistance they may to emergency staff. Medical doctors and emergency workers handled some of the injured as they lay in the open subject. Movies from the scene confirmed the clothing, sneakers and other items meant for the beneficiaries.

One witness who only identified himself as Daniel mentioned "there were so many youngsters” among the dead. 5 of the dead youngsters were from one mother, he advised the AP, including that a pregnant girl also lost her life.

Some church members were attacked and injured by family of the victims after the stampede, based on witness Christopher Eze. The church declined to comment on the state of affairs.

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

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

Nigeria has seen related stampedes previously.

Twenty-four people died at an overcrowded church gathering within the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, while not less than 16 people had been killed in 2014 when a crowd bought out of control during a screening for presidency jobs within the nation's capital, Abuja.

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