31 Killed In Stampede At Church's "Shop For Free" Charity Program

At least 31 people were killed and seven others injured in a stampede at a church charity event that aimed to offer hope to the needy in southern Nigeria.

The tragedy occured at the Kings Assembly, a church in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on May 28.

According to Grace Iringe-Koko, a police spokeswoman, the people were gathered at the church for their annual "Shop for Free" charity program.

''Thirty-one persons for now have been confirmed dead and those injured are responding to treatment. We are investigating to find out what really happened'," she said.

The charity program was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. but many had arrived as early as 5 a.m. to secure their place in line at the gate of Polo club, Iringe-Koko said.

The locked gate was broke open and they all rushed in, creating a deadly stampede, Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said.

First responders were able to evacuate the dead bodies and bring them to the morgue.

"There were so many children" among the dead, one witness who only identified himself as Daniel told the AP.

Five of the deceased children were from one mother, he said, adding that a pregnant woman was also lost her life in the tragedy.

Another tragedy during a mass gathering happened in Tamil Nadu, India, where at least 11 people, including two children, were electrocuted to death after a truck decorated as a temple chariot came in contact with an overhead high power electric line during an annual Hindu festival procession.

The shocking incident occurred in the wee hours on April 27, when the Appar temple chariot procession was underway in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu state, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported.

The 9 feet (2.7m) high hand-pulled chariot, which carried statues of Hindu deities, faced some obstacles while taking a turn and was reversing when it came in contact with the high power tension overhead line.

The impact was so strong that the people standing on the chariot were tossed out of the vehicle, according to reports.

Three people were killed on the spot while the remaining succumbed at Thanjavur Medical College Hospital, Deputy inspector general Balakrishnan said. He added that 15 others were injured.