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

The 2 accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amidst a growing trend by local companies, churches and individuals to organize charity drive ahead of Christmas, as the nation struggles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten individuals 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 declaration, including that more than 1,000 individuals have actually been evacuated from the church.

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

"The way they were rushing to get in, some people were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he handled to save one baby as his mother had a hard time in the surge.

Three individuals died in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity event organized by a benefactor, the state authorities said.

"The occasion had not even started when the rush began," authorities spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. There might be more deaths taped as officers investigate the incident, he said.

Viral video that seemed from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as individuals screamed for aid. A few of the hurt have been dealt with and released while others continue to receive healthcare, police stated.

The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothes products still organized within the properties.

As the church held a marriage event after the crowd was left, the misery and unhappiness stayed palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event pictures.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and relevant authorities to impose strict crowd control steps.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised concerns about security steps in such occasions. Several kids were killed on Wednesday today when a local structure arranged a well-attended funfair to disperse gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the most current disaster, the cops in Abuja announced that previous consent needs to be gotten before such charity occasions are arranged.

The present economic difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "restored 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 pushed the regional currency to record low against 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 jailed at protests requiring much better chances and jobs for youths.