A stampede on Saturday at a church charity event in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, left more than 30 dead and others injured. Most of the casualties were reportedly children. According to Olufemi Ayodele, a regional spokesman for Nigeria's Civil Defense Corps, the stampede took place at the Kings Assembly Pentecostal Church's annual “Shop For Free” charity event which was held at a local polo club.
“During the process of distributing the gift items, there was a stampede due to overcrowding," he said. "Casualties were children mostly," said Ayodele.
According to Grace Woyengikuro Iringe-Koko, a spokeswoman for the state police, the event had not yet started when the stampede began. She said that the crowd forced themselves into the venue even with the gate being locked, creating the deadly stampede. Woyengikuro Iringe-Koko noted that 31 people were confirmed dead, and seven were injured and hospitalized.
According to NPR, after the stampede, church members were attacked and injured by the family members of the victims. Five of the children dead had the same mother. Another one of the victims was a pregnant woman. The church has refused to comment on the situation.
We'll keep you updated if more information becomes available on this tragic event.
[Via]