ABUJA, Nigeria – A tragic incident in Nigeria’s capital has resulted in the deaths of ten individuals, including four children, during a stampede that occurred as a crowd gathered to receive food supplies distributed by a local church during a Christmas celebration. The police reported the incident on Saturday.

The stampede took place in the early hours at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, located in the upscale Maitama district of Abuja. According to police spokesperson Josephine Adeh, more than 1,000 individuals were evacuated from the scene following the chaos.

This event marks the second similar stampede in just a week in Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa. In light of the ongoing severe cost-of-living crisis that the country is facing, many local communities, churches, and organizations are stepping up to organize charitable distributions in the lead-up to Christmas.