Death toll in Nigeria food stampedes rises to 32

The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, police said on Sunday.

The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items while the country grapples with the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.

The dead included 22 people in southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town, where a philanthropist on Saturday organised a food distribution, local police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said.

Ten others died in the capital, Abuja, during a church-organised similar charity event.

Economic hardship

Police said they were investigating the two incidents, only days after another stampede in which several children were killed.

Africa’s most populous country is seeing a growing trend by local organisations, churches and individuals to organise charity events ahead of Christmas to ease economic hardship caused by a cost-of-living crisis.

Witnesses of the Abuja stampede told The Associated Press there was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to enter the premises at around 4am, hours before gift items were to be shared.

Some of them, including older people, waited overnight to get food, said Loveth Inyang, who rescued one baby from the crush.

Safety measures

The stampedes prompted growing calls for authorities to enforce safety measures at such events.

Nigerian police also mandated that organisers obtain prior permission.

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