ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - A minimum of 13 individuals, including 4 children, were killed in two different stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds collected to collect food and clothes products distributed at annual Christmas events, the authorities 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 people to arrange charity events ahead of Christmas, as the country struggles with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Ten people were killed in the first stampede in the early hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, an upmarket part of the capital, Abuja, authorities representative Josephine Adeh said in a declaration, including that more than 1,000 people have been left from the church.

There was a crowd rise at one of the church gates, as dozens tried to enter the properties at around 4 a.m., hours before the gift items were to be shared, witnesses said, mentioning that some had actually been waiting considering that the previous night.

"The way they were rushing to get in, some people were falling and some of them were old," Loveth Inyang, a witness. Inyang stated he handled to rescue one infant as his mom struggled in the rise.

Three individuals passed away in a similar crush later on in the southeastern Anambra state's Okija town at a charity drive organized by a philanthropist, the state cops stated.

"The event had not even started when the rush began," cops spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga stated. There could be more deaths taped as officers investigate the event, he stated.

Viral video that appeared to be from the Abuja scene revealed lifeless bodies pushing the ground as individuals yelled for aid. A few of the hurt have been dealt with and released while others continue to receive healthcare, cops said.

The church canceled the charity occasion with bags of rice and clothes products still set up within the facilities.

As the church held a marital relationship event after the crowd was left, the agony and unhappiness remained palpable even as friends and families collected for wedding event photos.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathy with the victims' households and asked states and pertinent authorities to impose stringent crowd control steps.

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

After the current disaster, the police in Abuja announced that prior consent should be obtained before such charity drive are arranged.

The existing economic challenge under Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who promised "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 actually pressed the local currency to tape low against 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 numerous others were apprehended at protests requiring much better chances and tasks for youths.