At least 31 people have been killed in a crowd at a church event in southern Nigeria. Seven other people were injured in the incident in the city of Port Harcourt, police confirmed on Saturday. Among the victims were a mother and her newborn baby.
As PM News Nigeria reported online, the cause of the stampede was an action by the church. She wanted to distribute food to the needy in a store. The campaign was aimed at the underprivileged. Gifts and other items were also distributed for free. But because too many people wanted to take advantage of the campaign, panic suddenly erupted.
Mother with newborn among victims
Eyewitnesses reported that as early as 2 a.m., thousands gathered in front of the site and attempted to break into the building. “A breastfeeding mother and her four-month-old newborn baby died,” an eyewitness said.
There was no crowd control. “Ambulances, police officers and other security forces attended to the injured and retrieved the bodies from the scene,” said another eyewitness.
Source: Krone
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