Another tragic stampede during a Christmas rice sharing event has claimed the lives of over 20 women in Okija Community of Anambra State, on Saturday.
According to eyewitnesses at the event, stated that the chaotic scene was as a result of large crowd gathered to receive free bags of rice distributed by Obi Jackson Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation in the community.
However, while the exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed, witnesses described the incident as heartbreaking.
A resident, Arinzechukwu Nwanonenyi, who posted a video of the incident on Facebook, lamented the tragedy, said, “It’s a pity. Poverty is terrible. Assuming these women who met their untimely deaths were not poor, they would not have been there in the first place. God have mercy, and may their souls rest in peace”.
Local authorities are yet to provide official figures on the death toll or confirm the number of injuries sustained during the incident.
However, the tragic event underscores the harsh realities of poverty and food insecurity in many parts of Nigeria, as another one has left 10 persons killed in a Catholic Church stampede in Abuja during the distribution of free food items on Saturday morning .
Recall a similar incident occurred earlier this week in Ibadan, Oyo State, where a stampede at a children’s Christmas party led to the death of 35 children, with several others injured and receiving treatment at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
The recurring nature of such tragedies has sparked widespread concern, with calls for better crowd control measures at public events and initiatives to address the root causes of poverty.
