ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, consisting of four children, were killed in two different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to gather food and clothes products dispersed at yearly Christmas events, the police said Saturday.

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

Ten individuals 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, police 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 lots attempted to get in the facilities at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift products were to be shared, witnesses said, pointing out that some had actually been waiting given that the previous night.

"The way they were rushing to get in, some individuals were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang said he managed to rescue one baby as his mother had a hard time in the rise.

Three people passed away in a comparable crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a fundraiser arranged by a benefactor, the state police stated.

"The occasion had actually not even begun when the rush started," police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. There might be more deaths tape-recorded as officers examine the incident, he said.

Viral footage that appeared to be from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as individuals shouted for assistance. A few of the injured have been treated and released while others continue to get healthcare, authorities stated.

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

As the church held a marital relationship event after the crowd was left, the pain and unhappiness stayed palpable even as families and good friends gathered for wedding pictures.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his compassion with the victims' families and asked states and appropriate authorities to enforce rigorous crowd control measures.

The current stampedes in Nigeria have actually raised questions about precaution in such events. Several children were eliminated on Wednesday today when a regional foundation organized a well-attended funfair to disperse gift products and food to kids in southwestern Oyo state.

After the newest disaster, the cops in Abuja revealed that prior authorization should be obtained before such fundraiser are organized.

The present economic difficulty under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who guaranteed "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 pressed the local currency to record low against the dollar.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has actually resulted in mass protests in recent months. In August, a minimum of 20 individuals were shot dead and hundreds of others were detained at demonstrations requiring better opportunities and jobs for youths.