ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 people, including four kids, were killed in two different stampedes in Nigeria as big crowds gathered to collect food and clothing products dispersed at yearly Christmas events, the cops said Saturday.

The two accidents came days after another such stampede in Africa ´ s most populous nation, amid a growing trend by regional companies, churches and individuals to arrange fundraiser ahead of Christmas, as the country battles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

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

There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as lots attempted to enter the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift products were to be shared, witnesses said, explaining that some had been waiting since the previous night.

"The way they were rushing to go into, some individuals were falling and a few of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to rescue one infant as his mother struggled in the rise.

Three individuals died in a similar crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity occasion organized by a philanthropist, the state cops said.

"The event had not even begun when the rush began," cops representative Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There might be more deaths tape-recorded as officers investigate the event, he stated.

Viral video that seemed from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies resting on the ground as individuals shouted for assistance. Some of the hurt have actually been treated and discharged while others continue to get healthcare, authorities said.

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

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was left, the pain and sadness stayed palpable even as families and buddies gathered for wedding event pictures.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' families and asked states and appropriate authorities to enforce stringent crowd control measures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised concerns about security procedures in such events. Several children were killed on Wednesday this week when a local structure organized a well-attended funfair to disperse gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the current disaster, the police in Abuja revealed that previous permission should be acquired before such fundraiser are arranged.

The current financial hardship under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed "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 government ´ s financial policies that have pressed the regional currency to record low versus the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually led to mass protests in current months. In August, a minimum of 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were apprehended at demonstrations demanding better chances and jobs for young people.