A stampede Saturday at a church charity event in southern Nigeria left 31 people dead and seven injured, police told The Associated Press, a shocking development at a program that aimed to offer hope to the needy. One witness said the dead included a pregnant woman and many children. 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. Saturday's charity program was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. but dozens arrived as early as 5 a.m. to secure their place in line, Iringe-Koko said. Some church members were attacked and injured by relatives of the victims after the stampede, according to witness Christopher Eze.

Source: Ethiopian News May 29, 2022 12:23 UTC