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Four persons, yet to be identified, have reportedly lost their lives during the annual Christ the King procession organised by the Catholic Church in Aba, Abia State.
The victims, including two elderly women and a teenage girl, were part of a large gathering at Christ the King Cathedral (CKC) on Sunday, November 24.
While some reports attribute the deaths to exhaustion, others said a stampede occurred amid the overwhelming crowd. It was learnt that those who sustained injuries were rushed to different hospitals for treatment.
A witness, identified as Chinenye, described the scene as chaotic, stating, “The crowd was too much; there was little or no breathing space.”
“We have been having issues of people slumping but this is the first time I am hearing that someone died. “The Catholic Diocese of Aba has to find a way to decongest the population coming to this procession. “If possible all parishes should end their procession in their own parishes without coming to the cathedral.
“The sun was too much and some people aren’t supposed to attend this, especially those aged ones with one or two health issues.
“They were proclaimed death at Mendel Hospital, Aba, where they were rushed to, they died before getting to the hospital. “I pray God to grant their soul rest and give their family the fortitude to bear this loss.”
On the cause of the said stampede, a source who gave his name as Ebere said, “some yahoo boys arrived CKC and tried throwing money into the crowd which resulted to stampede as people scamper to pick the money. “In the attempt to pick the money, some people were marched upon by others scampering for the same money.
“We were told by those close that about four persons died. Others said that two died while others seriously injured were taken to the hospital for immediate medical attention.” There is not yet no statement from the police or from the Catholic Church at the time of filing the report.
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