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 individuals dead and seven injured, police told The Related Press, a stunning growth at a program that aimed to offer hope to the needy. One witness mentioned the dead included a pregnant lady and plenty of kids.

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

Such events are frequent in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economic system, the place greater than 80 million folks reside in poverty, in keeping 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 safe their place in line, Iringe-Koko said. One way or the other the locked gate was damaged open, making a stampede, she mentioned.

Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s Nationwide Emergency Management Company mentioned first responders have been in a position to evacuate the bodies of those trampled to demise and produce them to the morgue. Safety forces cordoned off the area.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the useless and offering any help they could to emergency workers. Doctors and emergency staff treated a number of the injured as they lay in the open field. Movies from the scene confirmed the clothing, footwear and different items meant for the beneficiaries.

One witness who solely recognized himself as Daniel said "there have been so many kids” among the many dead. Five of the dead children were from one mom, he informed 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, in keeping with witness Christopher Eze. The church declined to touch upon the scenario.

The police spokeswoman said 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 previously.

Twenty-four folks died at an overcrowded church gathering within the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, whereas no less than 16 people have been killed in 2014 when a crowd acquired 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.