Children amongst 31 killed at church honest stampede in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria -- A stampede Saturday at a church charity occasion in southern Nigeria left 31 individuals lifeless and seven injured, police advised The Associated Press, a stunning improvement at a program that aimed to supply hope to the needy. One witness stated the lifeless included a pregnant girl and many children.

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

Such events are common in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, where more than 80 million individuals dwell in poverty, based on authorities statistics.

Saturday’s charity program was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. but dozens arrived as early as 5 a.m. to secure their place in line, Iringe-Koko stated. Someway the locked gate was broken open, making a stampede, she said.

Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s National Emergency Administration Agency said first responders have been in a position to evacuate the our bodies of those trampled to death and bring them to the morgue. Security forces cordoned off the area.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the lifeless and providing any assistance they might to emergency staff. Medical doctors and emergency employees handled a number of the injured as they lay in the open discipline. Videos from the scene showed the clothes, shoes and other items meant for the beneficiaries.

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

Some church members were attacked and injured by family members of the victims after the stampede, in keeping with witness Christopher Eze. The church declined to comment on the scenario.

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

The “Shop for Free” event was suspended while authorities investigated how the stampede occurred.

Nigeria has seen related stampedes prior to now.

Twenty-four folks died at an overcrowded church gathering within the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, while at the least 16 folks have been killed in 2014 when a crowd got out of control during a screening for government jobs within the nation's capital, Abuja.

—

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