ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 13 individuals, including four kids, were eliminated in two different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing products dispersed at annual Christmas events, the police said Saturday.

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

Ten people 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, authorities spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a declaration, including that more than 1,000 people have actually been left from the church.

There was a crowd surge at one of the church gates, as lots tried to go into the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the present items were to be shared, witnesses said, explaining that some had actually been waiting since the previous night.

"The method they were rushing to get in, some individuals were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he managed to save one baby as his mother struggled in the surge.

Three people passed away in a comparable crush later in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a fundraiser organized by a benefactor, the state authorities said.

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

Viral video that appeared to be from the Abuja scene showed lifeless bodies lying on the ground as people yelled for aid. Some of the hurt have been dealt with and discharged while others continue to get healthcare, authorities stated.

The church canceled the fundraiser with bags of rice and clothing products still arranged within the premises.

As the church held a wedding after the crowd was left, the agony and sadness stayed palpable even as families and good friends gathered for wedding photos.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu revealed his sympathy with the victims' households and asked states and relevant authorities to enforce rigorous crowd control measures.

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

After the most recent disaster, the authorities in Abuja announced that previous permission should be acquired before such charity occasions are arranged.

The current 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 federal government ´ s economic policies that have pressed the regional currency to tape low versus the dollar.

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