Stampedes during three Christmas charity events across Nigeria have left at least 67 people dead in the past week, many of them children.

At least 67 people died in separate Christmas charity stampedes across Nigeria over the last week, sparking shock and sorrow among the leadership of the Catholic Church.

The victims collapsed in crowd surges as people grew desperate for Christmas church food handouts during the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.View on euronews

Nigerian police say the death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events has increased from 13 to 32.

Nigerian police say the death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events has increased from 13 to 32

In 2022, a stampede 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.