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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, consisting of 4 children, were killed in two different stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to gather food and clothes items distributed at annual Christmas events, the cops said Saturday.

The two mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amidst a growing pattern by local organizations, churches and individuals to arrange charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the nation has a hard time with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten people were eliminated in the 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 individuals have been evacuated from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as lots tried to get in the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift products were to be shared, witnesses stated, mentioning that some had been waiting given that the previous night.

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

Three people died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity event arranged by a philanthropist, the state authorities stated.

"The event had actually not even started when the rush began," authorities representative Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths tape-recorded as officers examine the incident, he said.

Viral video that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals yelled for aid. Some of the hurt have actually been dealt with and released while others continue to receive treatment, police said.

The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothes items still organized within the facilities.

As the church held a marriage ceremony after the crowd was left, the misery and unhappiness remained palpable even as households and good friends collected for wedding images.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his compassion with the victims' families and asked states and relevant authorities to implement rigorous crowd control steps.

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised questions about safety measures in such occasions. Several kids were eliminated on Wednesday today when a regional structure organized a well-attended funfair to distribute gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most recent catastrophe, the authorities in Abuja announced that prior permission needs to be gotten before such charity events are organized.

The existing financial difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who assured "renewed hope" when he was sworn into office in May 2023, is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government ´ s financial policies that have pushed the local currency to 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 people were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at protests demanding better and tasks for young people.