THE DEATH toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, police said today.

The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items as the country grapples with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

The dead included 22 people in south-eastern Anambra state’s Okija town, where a philanthropist on Saturday organised a food distribution, local police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said.

Ten others died in the capital, Abuja, during a similar charity event organised by a church. 

Police said they were investigating the two incidents, only days after another stampede in which 35 children were killed.

Africa’s most populous country is seeing a growing trend by local organisations, churches and individuals to organise charity events ahead of Christmas to ease economic hardship.

Witnesses of the Abuja stampede told reporters that there was a crowd surge at one of the church gates as dozens tried to enter the premises at around 4am, hours before gift items were to be shared.

Some of them, including older people, waited overnight to get food, said Loveth Inyang, who rescued one baby from the crush.

The stampedes prompted growing calls for authorities to enforce safety measures at such events. Nigerian police also mandated that organisers obtain prior permission.