ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 individuals, including 4 kids, were killed in 2 different stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds collected to gather food and clothing products distributed at yearly Christmas events, the police said Saturday.

The 2 mishaps came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populated country, amidst a growing trend by local organizations, churches and individuals to arrange fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the nation fights with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten people were killed in the first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, authorities spokesman Josephine Adeh stated in a statement, including 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 dozens tried to get in the premises at around 4 a.m., hours before the present items were to be shared, witnesses stated, explaining that some had actually been waiting because the previous night.

"The method they were rushing to go into, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he managed to save one baby as his mother had a hard time in the surge.

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

"The event had not even begun when the rush started," police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There might be more deaths taped as officers examine the event, he said.

Viral video that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as people yelled for aid. A few of the injured have been dealt with and released while others continue to receive treatment, authorities said.

The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothes products still arranged within the facilities.

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was left, the agony and sadness stayed 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 impose strict crowd control steps.

The recent stampedes in Nigeria have raised questions about precaution in such events. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday this week when a local foundation arranged a well-attended funfair to distribute gift items and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the newest catastrophe, the cops in Abuja announced that prior approval must be gotten before such charity drive 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 rising inflation that is at a 28-year high and the federal government ´ s financial policies that have actually pressed the regional currency to tape-record low against the dollar.

over the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in mass protests in recent months. In August, a minimum of 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were arrested at protests demanding better opportunities and jobs for young individuals.