The church in Port Harcourt organised an event to distribute gifts and food among the poor when the incident happened that resulted in 31 people killed, the newspaper reported, citing acting spokesman for the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko.
Stampede in Church in Southern Nigeria Results in 31 Deaths, Reports Say
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According to the spokesperson, as cited by the newspaper, some people broke into the church before the start of the event, causing others to rush in, which lead to the stampede.
An investigation to establish the immediate and remote causes of the incident has been launched, the spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper.