Youngsters among 31 killed at church truthful stampede in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria -- A stampede Saturday at a church charity occasion in southern Nigeria left 31 folks lifeless and 7 injured, police informed The Related Press, a surprising development at a program that aimed to supply hope to the needy. One witness said the dead included a pregnant woman and many kids.

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

Such occasions are frequent in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, where more than 80 million people reside in poverty, in response to authorities statistics.

Saturday’s charity program was supposed to start at 9 a.m. but dozens arrived as early as 5 a.m. to safe 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 Administration Agency mentioned first responders were in a position to evacuate the our bodies of those trampled to death and produce them to the morgue. Security forces cordoned off the area.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the lifeless and providing any help they might to emergency staff. Docs and emergency workers handled among the injured as they lay within the open field. Videos from the scene showed the clothing, sneakers and other items meant for the beneficiaries.

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

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

The police spokeswoman stated the seven injured have been “responding to therapy."

The “Store for Free” occasion was suspended while authorities investigated how the stampede occurred.

Nigeria has seen related stampedes prior to now.

Twenty-four individuals died at an overcrowded church gathering within the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, while no less than 16 individuals had been killed in 2014 when a crowd received uncontrolled 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.