At least 31 people were killed after a stampede broke out at a church event in the southeastern Nigerian city of Port Harcourt.
Olufemi Ayodele, a regional spokesman for Nigeria’s Civil Defense Corps said that the stampede occurred during a gift donation drive.
The “Shop for Free” charity program was organized by the Kings Assembly pentecostal church and was held at the Port Harcourt Polo Club.
Grace Iringe-Koko, police spokesperson for Rivers state said that hundreds of people turned up for the event, and quickly turned chaotic.
“During the process of distributing the gift items, there was a stampede due to overcrowding. Casualties were children mostly,” said Ayodele.