ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, consisting of four kids, were eliminated in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to collect food and clothes items dispersed at annual Christmas occasions, the police stated Saturday.

The 2 accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated country, amid a growing pattern by local companies, churches and individuals to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the country deals with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten individuals were killed in the very first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, authorities spokesperson Josephine Adeh stated in a statement, adding that more than 1,000 people have actually been left from the church.

There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as lots attempted to get in the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the present products were to be shared, witnesses said, pointing out that some had actually been waiting because the previous night.

"The method they were hurrying to go into, some individuals were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to rescue one infant as his mother had a hard time in the rise.

Three individuals died in a similar crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity drive organized by a benefactor, the state police said.

"The event had actually not even started when the rush began," authorities representative Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths taped as officers investigate the event, he said.

Viral video footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as individuals shouted for assistance. A few of the hurt have been dealt with and released while others continue to get medical care, police stated.

The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothing items still set up within the premises.

As the church held a marriage event after the crowd was evacuated, the pain and unhappiness stayed palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event photos.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his compassion with the victims' households and asked states and pertinent authorities to impose rigorous crowd control procedures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised questions about precaution in such occasions. Several kids were killed on Wednesday this week when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to distribute gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the newest catastrophe, the cops in Abuja revealed that prior permission needs to be obtained before such charity drive are organized.

The existing economic difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "renewed hope" when he was sworn into workplace in May 2023, is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government ´ s financial policies that have actually pushed the local currency to tape-record low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually led to mass demonstrations in recent months. In August, at least 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at demonstrations demanding much better chances and jobs for youths.