ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, consisting of four children, were eliminated in two different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds collected to collect food and clothing products dispersed at yearly Christmas events, the authorities said Saturday.

The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amidst a growing trend by local organizations, churches and individuals to arrange charity occasions 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 said in a statement, including that more than 1,000 people have actually been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to get in the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the present items were to be shared, witnesses said, mentioning that some had been waiting given that the previous night.

"The way they were hurrying to enter, some individuals were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to rescue one child as his mother had a hard time in the rise.

Three individuals passed away in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity occasion organized by a benefactor, the state cops stated.

"The occasion had actually not even begun when the rush started," police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths recorded as officers examine the occurrence, he stated.

Viral footage that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals yelled for assistance. A few of the injured have actually been treated and released while others continue to receive medical care, authorities stated.

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

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

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his compassion with the victims' households and asked states and appropriate authorities to impose rigorous crowd control steps.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have raised concerns about safety procedures in such occasions. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday this week when a local structure arranged a well-attended funfair to disperse gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most current catastrophe, the cops in Abuja announced that prior authorization must be gotten before such charity occasions are arranged.

The present financial challenge under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "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 federal government ´ s financial policies that have actually pressed the regional currency to tape low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually caused mass protests in recent months. In August, a minimum of 20 people were shot dead and numerous others were apprehended at protests requiring much better opportunities and tasks for young individuals.