Cars drive past Christmas decorations on a street in Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) -- The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, police said Sunday. The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items while the country grapples with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

The dead included 22 people in southeastern Anambra state's Okija town, where a philanthropist on Saturday organized a food distribution, local police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. Ten others died in the capital, Abuja, during a church-organized similar charity event.

kAm!@=:46 D2:5 E96J H6C6 :?G6DE:82E:?8 E96 EH@ :?4:56?ED[ @?=J 52JD 27E6C 2?@E96C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?:86C:2\DE2>A656\49:=5C6?\D49@@=\ed42a_236d7heff'3hf57e_6b2'6''34QmDE2>A656k^2m :? H9:49 D6G6C2= 49:=5C6? H6C6 <:==65]k^AmkAmp7C:42'D >@DE A@AF=@FD 4@F?ECJ :D D66:?8 2 8C@H:?8 EC6?5 3J =@42= @C82?:K2E:@?D[ 49FC496D 2?5 :?5:G:5F2=D E@ @C82?:K6 492C:EJ 6G6?ED 29625 @7 r9C:DE>2D E@ 62D6 64@?@>:4 92C5D9:A 42FD65 3J 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?:86C:2\AC@E6DE\E:?F3F\64@?@>:4\92C5D9:A\g5ah'e5663efc62a4e2d46a''hd_6_'7Qm4@DE\@7\=:G:?8 4C:D:Dk^2m]k^Am kAm(:E?6DD6D @7 E96 p3F;2 DE2>A656 E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD E96C6 H2D 2 4C@H5 DFC86 2E @?6 @7 E96 49FC49 82E6D[ 2D 5@K6?D EC:65 E@ 6?E6C E96 AC6>:D6D 2E 2C@F?5 c 2]>][ 9@FCD 367@C6 8:7E :E6>D H6C6 E@ 36 D92C65]k^AmkAm$@>6 @7 E96>[ :?4=F5:?8 @=56C A6@A=6[ H2:E65 @G6C?:89E E@ 86E 7@@5[ D2:5 {@G6E9 x?J2?8[ H9@ C6D4F65 @?6 323J 7C@> E96 4CFD9]k^AmkAm%96 DE2>A656D AC@>AE65 8C@H:?8 42==D 7@C 2FE9@C:E:6D E@ 6?7@C46 D276EJ >62DFC6D 2E DF49 6G6?ED] }:86C:2? A@=:46 2=D@ >2?52E65 E92E @C82?:K6CD @3E2:? AC:@C A6C>:DD:@?]k^Am