Several children killed in stampede at holiday fair in Nigeria

What's New

Several children were killed in a stampede on Wednesday at a school-organized holiday fair in southwestern Nigeria, according to local officials.

What To Know

The incident unfolded at the Islamic High School Basorun in Oyo state, leading to a swift response by local authorities.

While the cause of the incident and the exact number of fatalities remains unclear, Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed there were fatalities and announced the deployment of security forces to the site to prevent further casualties and ensure safety in the aftermath.

What Are People Saying

In a statement, Governor Makinde extended his condolences to the affected families, saying, "We sympathise with the parents whose joy has suddenly been turned to mourning due to these deaths."

Similar Incidents

Nigeria has seen similar stampedes in the past. Most recently, the Nigeria Customs Service in February suspended its program to distribute seized bags of rice to needy residents following a deadly stampede at its Lagos office.

The incident, which unfolded amid mounting hunger across the country, resulted in fatalities and injuries, officials confirmed.

In a statement released in February, the Customs Service acknowledged eyewitness accounts of the tragic crowd surge. While confirming that lives were lost and others injured, the agency did not disclose the exact number of victims.

"Unforeseen challenges arose when we ran out of stock and announced the continuation of the exercise the following day, leading to a regrettable outcome," spokesperson for the service, Abdullahi Maiwada, said in the statement.

"The crowd became desperate and charged through our barricades in search of rice bags inside emptied containers. In the stampede that ensued, some fatalities and injuries were regrettably recorded," Maiwada added, announcing "the suspension of this exercise until we establish what transpired."

According to CNN, February's incident occurred as Nigeria was battling one of its worst cost-of-living crises that saw inflation rise to nearly 30 percent, the highest in over two decades.

Meanwhile, in May 2022, a stampede at a church charity event in southern Nigeria left 31 people dead and seven injured at a program that aimed to offer hope to the needy.

The stampede at the event organized by the Kings Assembly Pentecostal church in Rivers state involved people who came to the church's annual "Shop for Free" charity program, according to Grace Iringe-Koko, a police spokeswoman.

Meanwhile in 2013, twenty-four people died at an overcrowded church gathering in the southeastern state of Anambra. In addition, at least 16 people were killed in 2014 when a crowd got out of control during a screening for government jobs in the nation's capital, Abuja.

What Happens Next

Further investigations into the cause of the stampede are expected to continue.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.